ALBAWABA - Six migrant workers were shot dead in southwestern Pakistan on Thursday, authorities reported, in an area where militants have long initiated ethnic attacks against outsiders.
The men were killed late Wednesday at their home in Balochistan province, around 25 kilometers from Gwadar, where a large Chinese investment has built a deepwater port.
Police claimed the men, who had migrated to the region and worked as barbers, were most likely targeted because they were Punjabi, Pakistan's most populous and important ethnic group.
Muhammad Mohsin, a senior police official in Gwadar, stated: "We are investigating the matter at the moment but apparently it looks like they were attacked because they were Punjabis," adding that six were killed and one was injured.
Zohaib Ahmad, a second police official, verified the tragic toll, saying they were shot inside their home. Despite having abundant natural resources, Balochistan is Pakistan's largest yet poorest province.
Militants have previously targeted ethnic Punjabis and Sindhis, as well as foreign interests, whom they feel are abusing the impoverished region without sharing its riches.
