QUETTA: The body of the Ziarat assistant commissioner — who was abdu­cted along with his son more than a month ago — was found in Harnai district.

Levies officials confirmed the death of the Ziarat AC after images of his body circulated on social media platforms, but said that his body had yet to be recovered.

“The photo released on social media is Muhammad Afzal Baqi,” Ziarat Teh­sildar Noor Muhammad said, in reference to images circulating online.

Following reports about the presence of his body in Harnai, “security forces have launched a search operation” to retrieve it, the official added.

It was also claimed that his son had also been kil­led, but officials denied these reports, saying that there was no such information.

The slain assistant commissioner had been kidnapped along with his son, Mustansar Bilal, in August from the Zahzri area of Ziarat as he was returning after a picnic.

The abductors had let his family members and gua­rds go, but abducted the AC and his son before setting their vehicle on fire.

Security forces subsequently launched a search operation to recover the kidnapped officer and his son, but was unable to track him down.

Last week, a video circulated on social media platforms, in which the officer and his son could be seen asking the government to accept the demands of the kidnappers.

The video, however, did not mention the nature of these demands, and no one has claimed responsibility for the abduction.

Baqi, a resident of Taunsa Sharif in Punjab, was a veteran officer of the Balochistan government who had started his career as a patwari in the revenue department. He reached superannuation on Sept 3, 2025, while in captivity.

Meanwhile, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti condemned the killing, calling it a “cowardly and brutal act”. The CM said the slain official was a dutiful, hardworking, and capable officer who performed his responsibilities with honesty and integrity.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2025