Balochistan Commissioner Asadullah Kakar Abducted by Armed Terrorists in Pakistan

QUETTA (Terror Monitor) — Armed terrorists have abducted Asadullah Kakar, commissioner of Pakistan’s Rakhshan Division, in the southwestern province of Balochistan, as he was travelling from Quetta to the divisional headquarters in Kharan on Thursday, according to a senior government official.

The abduction marks the third high-profile kidnapping of a senior government or judicial official in Balochistan in recent weeks, raising fresh concerns over the security of government representatives travelling through the province.

A senior government official, speaking to the British news agency on condition of anonymity, said Kakar had travelled to Quetta to attend a meeting and was returning to Kharan after its conclusion when armed attackers intercepted his vehicle.

According to the official, a clerk and a cashier were also travelling with the commissioner and his driver.

The vehicle was passing through the Barshonki area of Kharan district when armed terrorists stopped it. The attackers released the clerk and cashier but abducted Kakar and his driver and took them to an undisclosed location, the official said.

The circumstances surrounding the abduction, including the whereabouts of the commissioner and his driver, remained unclear in the information available at the time of reporting.

Second Senior Administrator Abducted in Kharan

The latest incident follows the abduction of Kharan Deputy Commissioner Munir Ahmed Somro, who was kidnapped by armed terrorists along with three other people on September 20.

According to information provided to Terror Monitor, Somro and another abducted individual were released on October 2, while his gunman and driver had been freed earlier.

Local administrative sources subsequently told Terror Monitor that a substantial ransom had been paid to secure the release of the officials who were freed.

The reported payment raises concerns that kidnappings may be used to obtain financial concessions from the government or local authorities.

However, the amount allegedly paid and the precise circumstances of the releases were not independently established in the information available for this report.

The repeated targeting of senior administrative officials has intensified concerns about the security situation in Rakhshan Division, where government representatives must travel between district headquarters and provincial administrative centres.

Additional Sessions Judge Abducted on Route to Panjgur

The latest kidnapping also follows the abduction of an additional sessions judge from Panjgur district.

The judge was travelling from Quetta to Panjgur when armed terrorists abducted him and a police officer accompanying him in the Surab area of Balochistan.

Both the judge and the police officer were subsequently released, although the precise circumstances of their release were not immediately available.

The three incidents involve senior civilian officials or judicial personnel travelling through different parts of Balochistan, highlighting the risks faced by government representatives on the province's highways.

Balochistan Liberation Army Linked to Abductions

According to information provided to Terror Monitor by local administrative sources, the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) was responsible for the abductions of the senior officials.

The sources said officials who were subsequently released had been recovered following the payment of substantial sums of money to secure their freedom.

The claims regarding the group's responsibility and the alleged ransom payments are based on information provided by local administrative sources and have not been independently verified.

The BLA is a separatist militant organisation operating in Balochistan that has carried out attacks against Pakistani security forces, government personnel and infrastructure.

The organisation's alleged involvement in the kidnappings would represent another instance of senior provincial officials being targeted in a region that has experienced a prolonged insurgency.

No further details were immediately available regarding the current whereabouts of Commissioner Asadullah Kakar and his driver, or whether any demands had been communicated by their abductors.

Security Concerns Grow in Balochistan

Balochistan, Pakistan's largest province by area, has experienced a long-running insurgency involving separatist militant groups, including the BLA.

The province is strategically important because of its mineral resources, its border with Afghanistan and Iran, and its access to the Arabian Sea.

Attacks and kidnappings targeting government officials have complicated efforts to maintain administrative control and ensure the safe movement of personnel across remote districts.

The abduction of Kakar, following the earlier kidnappings of the Kharan deputy commissioner and the additional sessions judge, has further highlighted the vulnerability of senior officials travelling outside major urban centres.

The latest incident also raises questions about the ability of armed groups to intercept official vehicles and transport abductees to undisclosed locations.

Authorities have yet to provide publicly verified details about the search for Kakar and his driver.

The immediate priority remains establishing the whereabouts of the abducted commissioner and his driver and securing their safe release.