Pak asks Iran to probe killing of 9 Pakistanis in Saravan

Islamabad: The Pakistan Foreign Office (FO) said on Saturday that it is in touch with the Iranian authorities over the “horrifying and despicable” killing of Pakistani nationals by terrorists in the neighbouring country, a media reports said.

Iran’s Mehr news agency earlier reported that “according to witnesses, this morning unknown armed men killed nine non-Iranians in a house in the Sirkan neighbourhood of Saravan city” in the Sistan-Baluchistan province, Dawn reported.

The agency added that no group or individuals have claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

The Baluch rights group Haalvash said on its website that the victims were Pakistani labourers, who lived at an auto repair shop where they worked. Three others were wounded, it said, Dawn reported.

A statement issued by FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch in response to media queries on the matter said: “It is a horrifying and despicable incident and we condemn it unequivocally. We are in touch with the Iranian authorities and have underscored the need to immediately investigate the incident and hold to account those involved in this heinous crime.”

She said Pakistan’s consul in Zahedan was enroute the hospital where the injured were being treated and would reach in a “few hours due to long distances and security imperatives involved”, Dawn reported.

Baloch said the consul will also meet local authorities and “impress upon them the urgent need for strong action against the perpetrators of this crime”.

At least nine Pakistani nationals were killed and three others critically injured in an attack on a vehicle repair shop in the Sirkan area of Saravan City, located in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchistan Province, Iranian news outlet The Qorasan Diary reported, citing Iranian and Pakistani officials as well as local media, as per reports.

The victims hailed from districts including Multan, Muzaffaragarh and Bahawalpur, according to initial reports. The armed assailants responsible for the attack remain unidentified, Express Tribune reported.

Pakistan’s Ambassador to Iran, Muhammad Mudassir Tipu, confirmed the tragic incident and urged Iran to extend full cooperation in the matter.

In a statement posted on his social media handle, Ambassador Tipu expressed deep shock over the killings and assured that the embassy would provide support to the bereaved families.

The attack comes amid recent tensions between Pakistan and Iran, triggered by a series of incidents, Express Tribune reported.

On January 16, Iran conducted missile and drone strikes within Pakistan's Balochistan province, purportedly targeting the terrorist group Jaish ul-Adl. In response, Pakistan condemned the "violation of its airspace" and recalled its Ambassador from Iran.