Kalat SHO, Police Gunman Go Missing in Mangchar; Abduction Feared
KALAT, PAKISTAN — WEB DESK: A station house officer and his police gunman have gone missing in the Mangchar area of Balochistan’s Kalat district, prompting authorities to launch search operations amid fears that the two may have been abducted.
The missing officials have been identified as Khalqabad Police Station SHO Ali Asghar Nichari and his gunman Salman.
The two officials left the police station in a private vehicle for a routine patrol in Mangchar.
Concern grew after a considerable period passed without either official returning and police were unable to establish contact with them.
The prolonged loss of communication has raised fears among police that the SHO and his gunman may have been abducted.
Police teams have launched operations at different locations in an effort to trace the missing officials.
Authorities are also gathering further information to establish their movements and determine what happened after they left the police station.
No group has been publicly identified as responsible for their disappearance at this stage, and authorities have not confirmed that an abduction has taken place.
The incident comes amid continuing security concerns in parts of Balochistan, where security personnel, government officials and civilians have previously been targeted in kidnappings and militant attacks.
Kalat district has witnessed several security incidents in recent weeks.
In September, security forces carried out an operation near Kalat after armed militants established an illegal checkpoint on a major highway. Twenty-three abducted people were recovered during that operation.
The latest disappearance, however, remains under investigation and authorities have yet to establish whether it is connected to militant activity.
No information has yet been released regarding the condition or whereabouts of Ali Asghar Nichari and Salman.
Search operations remain underway, with further details expected as police obtain more information about the circumstances surrounding their disappearance.
