RAJANPUR, Dec 10: The Indus Highway was blocked by motorists for eight hours near Shahwali Checkpost, 80km from here, on Monday night after eight highwaymen looted passengers of a coach and kidnapped its driver.

According to reports reaching here, the highwaymen belonging to the Bugti tribe waylaid a Karachi-bound coach of the Shalimar company coming from Swat and deprived the passengers of cash and valuables.

While leaving, they took the driver, also the owner of the coach, with them.

Looted passengers blocked the highway. They were soon joined by scared drivers of other vehicles because this part of the road has been the target of Bugti outlaws since long. A number of kidnap-for-ransom cases have been reported in the past.

Rajanapur police chief Mian Akhtar Hayat reached the spot and got the blockade lifted after assuring the protesters that the highwaymen would be arrested soon.

Special police teams were after the accused.