Baloch separatists kill 8 Pakistanis in Iran

ISLAMABAD: Eight Pakistani car mechanics were shot dead in Iran late Saturday, sparking outrage and deepening fears that the country was becoming a hub for anti-Pakistan militants after Afghanistan.

Balochistan National Army (BNA), a lesser-known separatist group, claimed responsibility for the attack in Sistan-Baluchestan province, escalating tensions between the neighbouring countries as Pakistan demanded swift action. The eight workers hailed from Punjab -- Pakistan’s most populous province -- and were killed at a workshop in Mehrestan district, near Afghanistan’s border, Pakistani authorities said.

BNA framed the killings as retaliation against perceived Punjabi dominance in Balochistan’s economic and political spheres. “We will not allow outsiders to exploit our land and resources,” BNA said in an online statement, echoing long-standing Baloch grievances over resource exploitation and marginalisation. The outfit has aligned itself with the broader Baloch insurgency led by groups like Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).

Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif called the attack “barbaric”. “We demand the perpetrators be brought to justice swiftly,” he said, urging Tehran to act. Sharif ordered the foreign ministry to help the victims’ families and repatriate the bodies. Foreign minister Ishaq Dar issued a similar condemnation. “This attack challenges our sovereignty. We cannot allow our citizens to be targeted abroad,” Dar said.

Iran’s response was measured but conspicuously vague. Ambassador Reza Amiri Moghadam condemned the killings as “inhumane and cowardly”, calling terrorism a “chronic plight” that demands regional cooperation. Yet, Tehran offered no concrete assurances of cracking down on groups like BNA, prompting scepticism in Islamabad.

Thousands of Pakistanis, particularly from economically deprived areas, travel to Iran on a regular basis to take up informal jobs in sectors such as vehicle repairs, construction, and agriculture.

In Jan 2024, nine Pakistani labourers were killed and three critically injured in a similar attack in Saravancity, also located in Iran’s southeastern border region. Like in the latest killings, the victims in that case worked in an automobile repair shop. These murders occurred at a time when Pakistan and Iran were attempting to repair diplomatic relations after tit-for-tat missile and drone attacks.