QUETTA: The bodies of Ziarat Assistant Commissioner Afzal Baqi and his son Mustansar Bilal were recovered from the Zard Aloo area of Harnai on Sunday, more than six weeks after their abduction.
According to Levies officials, the Harnai district administration was alerted about two bodies lying near Zard Aloo. A large contingent of Levies reached the site, took the remains into custody, and shifted them to a hospital for medico-legal formalities.
Officials confirmed that the father and son were brutally tortured before being shot in the head. Their bodies were later handed over to the family.
The tragic ordeal began on August 10, when Afzal Baqi was on a picnic with his family and guards at Zezri. Over a dozen armed men intercepted the group, disarmed the guards, set the vehicle ablaze, and kidnapped the officer along with his son.
Thirty-six days later, a distressing video emerged on social media, showing the captives pleading for their lives. In the footage, Afzal Baqi appealed to the government to accept the kidnappers’ demands, while his son confirmed they were alive but in severe hardship.
Just eight days after the video surfaced, both were executed, leaving the province shocked and grieving.
Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti on Sunday expressed strong condemnation over the brutal killing of kidnapped Ziarat Assistant Commissioner (AC) Muhammad Afzal Baqi and his son.
In an official statement, CM Bugti said the tragedy was beyond words, describing Baqi as a “dedicated, honest, and hardworking officer who fulfilled his duties with integrity.”
“The martyred Assistant Commissioner Muhammad Afzal gave his life while serving the nation and will always be remembered in the hearts of the people,” the statement read. The CM paid tribute to both father and son, declaring that their sacrifices would never go in vain.
Bugti vowed that the perpetrators of such heinous crimes would be brought to justice. “The killers of innocent people and enemies of peace will never escape their fate,” he said, adding that the sacrifices of martyrs serve as a guiding light in the struggle to restore peace and stability in Balochistan.
The AC and his son were abducted in August while on a picnic in the Zezri area, Ziarat, Deputy Commissioner Zakaullah Durrani earlier confirmed. Armed suspects intercepted their vehicle, forced the passengers to disembark, and later set the vehicle on fire. While Afzal’s driver, gunman, and other family members were released, the officer and his son were taken away at gunpoint to an undisclosed location.
Following their abduction, security forces launched an extensive search operation in the area, with tribal elders also engaged to help secure their release. Despite these efforts, no group ever claimed responsibility for the kidnapping.
The local administration had announced a reward of Rs50 million for information on the abductors, but their whereabouts remained unknown until the tragic news of their killing surfaced.
