PM demands swift action over killing of 8 Pakistanis in Iran

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Sunday urged the Iranian government to immediately arrest the perpetrators, who killed eight Pakistani workers in Iran, mete out just punishment to them, and bring forward the “reasons for this cruel act.”

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He expressed deep grief and sorrow over the brutal killings. “The menace of terrorism is devastating for all regional countries,” he said.

Iranian media reports state that the deceased were mechanics, with five of them identified so far. The workshop owner, Dilshad, and his son Naeem, along with Jafar, Danish, and Nasir, all hailing from Punjab province, are among the victims, the reports said.

Meanwhile, the Iranian embassy in Pakistan strongly condemned the “inhumane and cowardly” killing of eight Pakistani workers on Saturday in the Sistan-Baluchestan province of Iran, All the eight Pakistani who were killed came from Bahawalpur in Punjab and were staying at a car repair shop.

The Baloch Nationalist Army (BNA), a Pakistani separatist group, and Jaish Al Adi (Arabic for Army of Justice), a Baloch militant group that is based in Pakistan but is also active in Iran, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Armed separatists in the area have in recent months intensified attacks on workers from other provinces, particularly Punjabis who are viewed as having strong links to the military.