Daily Times

An abducted senior leader of Awami National Party (ANP) was found murdered, police said on Thursday. Malik Ubaidullah Kasi, a member of ANP’s Central Committee, was found murdered in Pishin, said the police.

Kasi’s murder by his kidnappers was confirmed by Balochistan government spokesperson Liaquat Shahwani, who said he was ‘deeply saddened’ at the development. “The killers will be arrested and brought to justice,” he said. “The killers will not be able to escape the law.”

The ANP leader was kidnapped from Kateer in Balochistan’s Kuchlak area on June 26. According to Levies officials, the body was found from Saranan tehsil in Balochistan’s Pishin district.

The body was then sent to District Headquarters Hospital Pishin for a postmortem examination where Dr Saleemullah Pathan, medical superintendent of Civil Hospital Pishin, said the body was “about four days old” and identified “gunshot wounds” as the cause of death.

A large number of ANP workers rushed to the hospital and chanted slogans against the government.

ANP leaders and tribal elders also reached the deceased’s residence upon recovery of the body from the hospital.

On June 29, the ANP had expressed serious concern over Kasi’s kidnapping and demanded his early and safe recovery.

ANP central general secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain had issued a statement, saying that Balochistan government had failed to take effective steps for Kasi’s recovery. The ANP, he had said, was deeply concerned over the incident and warned that in case the then missing leader was not recovered within 72 hours, the party would announce its future line of action.

Hussain said such incidents had caused a sense of insecurity among Pakhtuns, adding that the situation in Balochistan was being disturbed through a well-organised conspiracy and it was the duty of the government and state institutions to guarantee safety to lives of the people.