According to provincial spokesman Shahid Rind, the victims were taken from multiple buses as they traveled through southwestern Balochistan toward Punjab. Another official, Naveed Alam, reported that the bodies were found overnight in a mountainous area, showing signs of bullet wounds.

No group has claimed responsibility for the assault. However, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), an armed separatist group active in the region, has previously carried out similar attacks targeting non-Baloch civilians, especially those from Punjab.

The BLA, one of several insurgent factions in Balochistan, accuses the Pakistani state of exploiting the province’s natural resources to benefit other parts of the country—particularly Punjab—while neglecting local development.

Political Fallout And Government Reaction

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi issued strong condemnations. Sharif called the incident “an open act of terrorism by India-sponsored terrorists” and vowed revenge. India has not responded to the allegation.

The killing underscores the ongoing volatility in Balochistan, a province bordering Afghanistan and Iran that has seen repeated violence involving separatist fighters, security forces, and civilians.

This attack follows other recent security incidents in Pakistan’s border provinces, including bombings targeting military personnel and school children, pointing to a broader trend of destabilization in key regions.