Assistant Commissioner Abducted in Kech, Balochistan; Massive Search Operation Launched

In a disturbing incident from Balochistan, Assistant Commissioner Muhammad Hanif Noorzai, stationed in Tehsil Tump of district Kech, was abducted by unidentified armed men while traveling to Quetta.

According to Kech’s Deputy Commissioner Major (R) Bashir Ahmad Baloch, the AC was kidnapped Wednesday morning near Tigranabad, roughly 40 kilometers from Turbat, while en route with his wife, driver, and a security guard.

A district administration official, on the condition of anonymity, said that six or more armed assailants intercepted their vehicle, offloaded all passengers except the AC, and drove him away to an unknown location.

The district administration, police, Levies, FC, and other law enforcement agencies immediately rushed to the site and launched a massive search and rescue operation.

Hanif Noorzai, originally from Quetta, has served in various parts of Balochistan as an AC. His abduction raises renewed security concerns in Kech, a district bordering Iran and often targeted by Baloch insurgent groups, notably the Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) and Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).

Notably, in February 2014, the BLF had kidnapped a Deputy Commissioner, two Assistant Commissioners, and two Tehsildars from the same district, who were released two days later. Last week, ADC Sohrab Hidayatullah Baloch was killed in an attack by the BLA.

Authorities continue the search, while fears grow about the fate of the abducted officer.