Tump assistant commissioner abducted from near Tigranabad, Balochistan

Express Tribune

3 days ago

Armed men abducted Tump Assistant Commissioner Hanif Noorzai on Wednesday morning near Tigranabad as he was traveling with his family to Quetta, according to local sources.
Eyewitnesses report that between six to eight armed individuals stopped his official vehicle, took him away at gunpoint, and fled with the car. His wife, driver, and official gunman were left at the site and remain unharmed.
The incident has prompted a swift response from security forces, who have launched a large-scale search operation in the area. Snap-checking has begun along Zubaida Jalal Road and nearby routes, while intelligence-based efforts are being used to track the abductors.
The abduction of a senior government officer has raised concerns over the safety of civil servants in Balochistan, particularly in the Makran region. Authorities have not yet identified those responsible, and no group has claimed responsibility as of now.
Efforts to locate and safely recover Assistant Commissioner Noorzai are ongoing.
Earlier this week, seven terrorists allegedly affiliated with the India-backed group Fitna al-Hindustan were killed in two separate operations in Balochistan on June 2, 2025.
Earlier, the federal government had officially designated all terrorist groups operating in Balochistan as 'Fitna al Hindustan', accusing India of sponsoring a proxy war through these outfits.
According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Interior, the move stems from 'the involvement of some organizations and groups in terrorist activities in Balochistan, which are detrimental to Islamic faith, the sovereignty of Pakistan, and its customary traditions'.
The notification further stated that the new designation is intended to reflect 'the true nature and ideology' of these groups and their 'nefarious designs' sponsored by India.
'All government entities are directed to start the above practice immediately,' the notification said, underscoring a concerted effort to reframe the narrative around insurgent violence in the province.
The announcement came after Islamabad accused India of escalating indirect aggression after what he described as its defeat in a recent security operation dubbed "Marka-e-Haq'.