The body of an Airport Security Force (ASF) officer, who was abducted a month ago, was discovered in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, a police official confirmed on Thursday.
Details of the Kidnapping and Discovery
Muhammad Waseem, 58, a resident of Karachi, was seized by armed men on May 23 while traveling from his hometown to Quetta along the Quetta-Karachi highway. The banned separatist group Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for his abduction in the mountainous Muhammad Tawa area of Kalat district.
“The tortured body of Mr. Waseem was found on Wednesday night around 8 kilometers far from Kalat city,” Munir Mengal, the Kalat police station in-charge, told Arab News. “Unknown people tortured and killed the kidnapped ASF officer and dumped his body in a desolated mountainous area,” he added. “After identification, the body of Mr. Waseem has been dispatched to Karachi for burial.”
Broader Context of Insurgency in Balochistan
Balochistan has been the site of a long-running insurgency, with frequent kidnappings and attacks targeting foreign nationals, infrastructure projects, security forces, police, and non-native Pakistanis. Last month, four staff members of the University of Gwadar, including the vice chancellor, were kidnapped from Mastung district by unidentified men before being released later.
