ISLAMABAD: At least five people were killed and two injured when terrorists fired on workers at the site of an upcoming dam in Panjgur district of Pakistan’s Balochistan, local authorities said Tuesday in what was the latest in a wave of strikes aimed at projects in the restive province. The shooting occurred as PM Shehbaz Sharif left for Riyadh on a visit aimed at attracting Saudi investments.
Shahid Rind, a spokesperson for the Balochistan govt, said the attack took place in Paroom area of Panjgur. Security officials said the attackers came on motorcycles and escaped unhurt after shooting at the workers and setting fire to some machinery used in the dam’s construction.
Balochistan — Pakistan’s largest province by area — has faced the brunt of terrorist attacks for nearly two decades after a former slain military ruler launched an offensive against nationalist forces and killed Nawab Akbar Bugti, a Baloch leader demanding his province’s control over its wealth.
Earlier this month, 20 labourers were killed in a rocket attack on coal mines in Balochsitan’s Duki, prompting more than 40,000 workers to return to their native Punjab and Sindh. Last month, several workers were killed when armed men stormed an under-construction house in Panjgur. All victims hailed from Multan in Punjab.
Balochistan’s volatile situation has also been a major challenge for Beijing to complete its projects under the $60-billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), part of China’s multi-billion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Chinese nationals, mostly working on CPEC projects, are often targeted by militants in the province.
