Key points
- Iranian authorities launch probe
- Banned outfit claims responsibility for attack
- Pakistani officials ordered to assist victims’ families
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday expressed concerns over the killing of eight Pakistanis in Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan province and called for bringing the perpetrators to justice.
“Terrorism remains a grave threat to the entire region,” the premier said, underscoring the need for a coordinated strategy among neighbouring countries to eliminate the menace.
He also directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) to immediately contact the victims’ families and extend all possible support.
The Pakistani embassy in Iran was also ordered to take urgent steps to ensure the safe repatriation of the deceased.
What happened?
At least eight Pakistani nationals, who worked as car mechanics in Iran’s restive Sistan and Baluchestan province, were shot dead by gunmen on Saturday night.
According to Iranian media, the firing incident took place in the Mehrestan district near the Afghanistan border when unknown armed men barged into a workshop and opened indiscriminate firing after tying the victims’ hands and feet.
All of the slain men belonged to Bahawalpur in south Punjab.
Iranian authorities said they have launched an investigation into the overnight killings but did not provide further information.
Responsibility
A spokesperson for the banned Balochistan National Army (BNA) claimed responsibility for the killing of eight Pakistanis in a statement issued to the media.
However, the terrorist organisation did not provide any evidence to substantiate the claims.
Interior ministry
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi strongly condemned the tragic killings in a statement issued on Saturday.
Naqvi expressed “profound grief and sorrow over the incident, extending heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the families of the victims”.
“We stand with the bereaved families in this hour of sorrow,” said Naqvi, assuring that the government’s full support and sympathies are with those who lost their loved ones.
Iranian embassy in Pakistan
Meanwhile, the Embassy of Iran in Pakistan strongly condemned the “inhumane and cowardly armed incident against 8 Pakistani nationals in Iran’s Sistan and Balouchestan province.”
“Terrorism is a chronic plight and a common threat throughout the region by which the traitorous elements, in collaboration with international terrorism, target security and stability throughout the region. Combating this ominous phenomenon requires collective and joint efforts by all countries to eradicate all forms of terrorism and extremism that have claimed the lives of thousands of innocent people in recent decades,” the embassy said in a statement.
Past incidents
In January last year, at least nine Pakistanis were killed and three sustained injuries in a firing incident in Iran’s southeastern region near the border with Pakistan, just a day after Islamabad and Tehran officially resumed diplomatic ties following a brief strain.
Pakistani labourers are commonly employed in Iran’s border regions, particularly in vehicle repair and agriculture.
However, the latest killings have raised fresh concerns over the safety of foreign workers in Iran’s restive eastern provinces.
