Pakistan’s Balochistan province has been rocked by a series of attacks on Punjabi workers by separatist militants. Baloch nationalist groups accuse the central government and China of stealing the province’s resources.
Seven workers were shot dead in the province of Balochistan in southwestern Pakistan, police said on Sunday.
“Seven laborers were killed and one injured,” said Moazzam Jah Ansari, the head of Balochistan police in the provincial capital, Quetta.
What do we know about the attack?
The attack occurred in the western Panjgur district, which is predominantly inhabited by ethnic Baloch.
While no group has claimed responsibility, it follows a number of other attacks on out-of-province laborers by Baloch separatist groups.
In August, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed a coordinated attack that killed at least 39 people.
During the attack, militants stopped cars on a highway and killed those who were from other provinces.
In May, gunmen killed 7 barber shop workers in the port city of Gwadar.
In April, 11 Punjabi laborers were killed when they were abducted from a bus in the city of Naushki.
What is the situation in Balochistan?
Balochistan is the country’s poorest province and is grappling with separatist militants that have targeted security forces and arrivals from other provinces.
Punjabis are the largest of the six main ethnic groups in Pakistan and make up just under half of the country’s population. They are seen as dominating business, government and the military.
The Baloch people largely inhabit the south and center of Balochistan province as well as southeastern Iran and parts of southern Afghanistan.
Much of the separatist violence targets Chinese investment projects in Pakistan that aim to link Balochistan’s Gwadar port to other parts of the Belt and Road initiative. Baloch militant and political groups have accused the central government and China of stealing their land and resources as part of the development drive.
Pakistan’s border areas have also seen an increase in Islamist attacks since the Taliban government seized power in neighboring Afghanistan in 2021.
