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A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against unknown accused in connection with the killing of 10 labourers in Gwadar on May 13, security officials said.
The FIR was registered on behalf of injured labourer Qadir Bakhsh at the Gwadar levies station. The case has been registered for murder, attempt to murder and terrorist acts, Levies sources said.
At least 10 labourers were killed and one injured when miscreants opened fire on them in the Pishgan area of Gwadar.
Local administration official Munir Zamari had said two gunmen riding on motorbikes had opened fire on construction workers.
The assailants attacked the men at two separate construction sites three kilometres apart along the same road. They then fled the scene.
Security has been tightened in and around Gwadar in the aftermath of the killings. Security forces have also increased patrolling in surrounding areas of Gwadar.
Levies sources said raids are also being conducted to apprehend the culprits involved in the incident.
Security challenges facing Balochistan and CPEC
The shooting incident occurs as Pakistan and China ink agreements aimed at boosting cooperation in various sectors on the sidelines of the Belt and Road Forum, which is underway in Beijing at the moment.
China is developing the warm water Gwadar port, a prominent feature of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) plan. The CPEC project — with an investment of $46 billion and the Gwadar port as its lynchpin — is billed to be a 'game-changer' and manifestation of strategic partnership between Pakistan and China.
Though the road where the labourers were working was not a specific CPEC-funded project, it was a part of a network of connecting roads that are part of the corridor — a common target for separatist militants who view construction projects as a means to take over their land.
The government has deployed a Maritime Security Force (MSF) and Special Security Division (SSD) to protect projects under CPEC, including Gwadar and other coastal areas, and ensure safety of locals and foreigners working on CPEC projects.
Balochistan Home Minister Sarfaraz Bugti, condemning the incident, had said, "We will not bow down before terrorists."
