SHANGLA: Families of the four coal miners, who were abducted by miscreants for ransom in Mach area of Balochistan on Sunday, have demanded of the federal, provincial governments and security agencies to recover their bread earners without delay.

The families of miners hailing from Alpuri tehsil met district police officer Mohammad Imran at his office. The police officer assured the families that he would play his role in ensuring early recovery of the abducted miners.

Fakhruddin, whose brother, Faramuddin, 35, is among the kidnapped miners, said his brother had four children and had gone to Balochistan three months ago to earn a living for his family. But he was taken away along with his colleagues from his workplace.

He said a number of miners from the area had been killed by abductors in the past as the government and contractors failed to pay them ransom.

Abid Yaar, president of association for rights of coal miners, said the mine sites in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were not safe for the workers as often abductions and killing of workers took place there.

He regretted that the provincial government had yet to approach the Balochistan government for recovery of the poor workers.

He said the abductors had demanded Rs10 million ransom for release of miners.

DPO Mohammad Imran said he had conveyed the message of the aggrieved families to his high-ups and they would approach the Balochistan police for safe recover of the abducted workers.

Six mineworkers were abducted from Mach area on Sunday, of whom, four hailed from Pir Abad and Basi areas of Shangla.

Meanwhile, a man in Aloch area of Puran tehsil has confessed killing his wife over a petty quarrel.

SHO Aloch Usman Munir told Dawn that the accused, Arifullah, had recorded his statement confessing he had killed his wife with strikes of a club after she did not pick their child, who fell down inside the house.

Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2022