Three persons belonging to the Hazara community were kidnapped from the outskirts of Balochistan’s capital city Quetta on Thursday.
According to reports, seven members of the Hazara community were kidnapped at gunpoint by unidentified gunmen at Killi Mariani in Quetta. Four of them were released a few hours later but three still remain missing.
An eye-witness Rustam Ali told Police that he along with his companions were on their way to Gaza Bandh on Wednesday — when reached Killi Mariani, he witnessed that six to seven armed men came in vehicles and abducted at least seven people.
As to sources, the abductees are laborers and residents of Hazara Twon and Marri Abad area of Quetta.
The motive behind the incident is yet to be ascertained. Meanwhile, the local administration is further investigating the matter.
It should be mentioned that the members of the Hazara community have been targeted numerous times in the past. Several massive bombings and targeted attacks by religious extremist groups in Balochistan have killed hundreds of Hazaras in the last decade.
In an interview with The Balochistan Post in 2018, Tahir Khan Hazara, a renowned leader of the community, said that Hazaras are killed to counter the Baloch freedom movement, as these killings provide the pretext for military operations in Baloch areas. He alleged that security forces are involved in attacks on the Hazara community.