BALOCHISTAN, Pakistan – Security forces in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province are on a frantic search for six young footballers kidnapped over the weekend, Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti confirmed on Monday, September 11, 2023.
The players, aged between 17 and 20, were abducted on Saturday while on their way to a football tournament in the gasfield town of Sui in Dera Bugti district.
Bugti stated that the entire area had been cordoned off and that “all available resources are being utilized for the recovery of the hostages.”
According to Bugti, the abductors are suspected members of the Baloch Republican Army, a militant group that seeks greater autonomy for the province.
“This is a very serious thing that our six kids are in the custody of terrorists,” the minister said.
Zakir Hussain, the father of 20-year-old player Aamir Hussain, told AFP that the family was “profoundly shaken.”
“We have not received any communication from him since he was kidnapped, and the abductors have not made contact with us,” he added.
Eyewitnesses and relatives reported that the players were part of a 16-member football squad whose vehicle was stopped at gunpoint before specific individuals were abducted.
An anonymous security official revealed that reports were suggesting the kidnapped players were related to separatists who had recently surrendered to security forces.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but least populous province, is rich in natural resources like natural gas and minerals but lags in other socio-economic indicators.
The Baloch people have long complained of not receiving a fair share of the province’s wealth, giving rise to more than a dozen separatist groups.
The kidnapping incident adds another layer of complexity to Balochistan’s ongoing struggle with insurgency and highlights the risks ordinary citizens face during the crossfire.
The search operations for the abducted players continue as families and communities anxiously wait for news of their well-being.
