Bodies of Pakistani Nationals Killed in Iran Returned Home

The remains of eight Pakistani citizens, who were killed earlier in the week in Iran’s Sistan province, were repatriated to Pakistan early Thursday morning.

Authorities confirmed that the special aircraft carrying the bodies arrived at Bahawalpur Airport at approximately 3:00 AM.

Among the deceased, seven were residents of Khanqah Sharif, located in Bahawalpur, while the other was from Shujaabad in the Multan district.

The bodies of those who tragically perished in the terrorist incident in Iran have been transported to their respective hometowns via ambulances for burial.

In Bahawalpur, a collective funeral service was conducted for five of the victims in their native Khanqah Sharif. The service was held on the grounds of the Government High School and was attended by Federal Parliamentary Secretary Usman Owaisi, MPA Shoaib Owaisi, and numerous community members.

In a separate event, the funeral for Muhammad Jamshed, one of the victims, was conducted in his ancestral village of Mehrabwala, within the Bahawalpur region.

The funeral for Muhammad Khalid, another victim of the assault, is scheduled to be held in Ahmedpur Sharqia.

The unfortunate event occurred on April 12 when unidentified terrorists fatally shot the men in Iran’s Sistan province, where they were employed as auto mechanics at a local garage.

The victims were slain by unknown assailants at their workplace in the Mehrestan district, situated approximately 230 kilometers from the Pakistan-Iran border.

The Pakistani government has issued a strong condemnation of the assault, formally requesting that Iran apprehend the perpetrators and ensure their prosecution.

The impoverished Sistan-Baluchestan region has historically experienced intermittent clashes between security forces and separatist militants, as well as smugglers transporting opium from Afghanistan.

Due to its strategic location, the region has been the site of several comparable incidents in recent years, including shootings, smuggling activities, and border skirmishes.

Expressing profound dismay over the incident, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has urged the Iranian government to swiftly capture those accountable for the brutal killings and ensure they receive appropriate punishment.

He characterized the event as a reprehensible act of terrorism, requesting that Iranian officials disclose the motives behind the attack to the public.

Pakistani laborers commonly find work in vehicle repair and agriculture within Iran’s border region; however, the recent killings indicate increasing insecurity for foreign laborers in the country’s eastern territories.

In January 2024, at least nine Pakistanis were killed, and three others sustained injuries in a shooting incident in Iran’s southeastern region near the border with Pakistan, merely a day after Pakistan and Iran officially restored diplomatic relations following a brief period of tension.