QUETTA: In a minor relief for families gripped by anguish, three of the seven men abducted from a remote mining area in Chagai district earlier this month have safely returned to their homes, while four others remain in captivity.
According to family sources, the three returnees—identified as Ziauddin, Shah Saleem, and Syed Muhammad—reached their residences yesterday. They were among a group of seven workers kidnapped by armed men on August 10 from private mines located in the mountainous Mahian area of Chagai.
Sources confirmed that the three men are natives of Chagai district. However, the remaining four abductees, who belong to the Gilgit region, have not yet been recovered or released. No information has emerged regarding their current whereabouts or the identity of the perpetrators.
Local officials and tribal elders are reportedly making efforts to secure the safe release of the remaining hostages. Authorities have so far declined to comment on whether any ransom demand was made or if a formal operation is underway.
The abduction has heightened concerns over law and order in Balochistan’s mineral-rich but sparsely policed border districts, where private mining operations have often become targets for militant groups and criminal networks.
Family members of the four Gilgit-origin workers continue to await news, appealing to the government for immediate intervention to ensure their loved ones’ safe return.
