Bodies of Pakistanis shot dead in Iran's Mehrestan yet to reach Taftan

• Victims, gunned down on Saturday in Iran, were automotive mechanics.
• Chagai admin in contact with Iranian authorities, Pakistan embassy.
• Arrangements in place for transportation of bodies to Bahawalpur.

The bodies of eight Pakistanis killed in Iran’s Sistan region have not yet been brought to Taftan, Chagai district authorities said on Sunday.

The victims, who worked as car mechanics, were killed by unidentified gunmen at their workshop in Mehrestan district, located about 230 kilometres from the Pakistan-Iran border.

According to Chagai Deputy Commissioner (DC), the local administration is in contact with Iranian officials as well as the Pakistani embassy in Tehran to facilitate the transfer.

The Pakistani embassy in Tehran has indicated that it may take up to two more days for the bodies to be moved to the border town of Taftan, the DC added.

Arrangements have already been made for onward transportation of the bodies to Bahawalpur once they arrive in Taftan, the official confirmed.

Six of the slain men belonged to Bahawalpur's rural area, Khanqa Sharif, while the remaining two were from Tehsil Ahmedpur Sharqia.

The impoverished Sistan-Baluchestan region has long been the scene of sporadic clashes between security forces and separatist militants and smugglers carrying opium from Afghanistan, the world's top producer of the drug.

The region has witnessed several similar incidents in recent years, including shootings, smuggling, and border clashes due to its strategic location.

Expressing deep concern over the incident,  Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday urged the Iranian government to swiftly apprehend those responsible for the brutal killing and to ensure they are given exemplary punishment.

He called it a heinous act of terrorism and demanded that Iranian authorities disclose the motives behind the attack to the public. 

Pakistani labourers commonly work in vehicle repair and agriculture in Iran’s border region; however, the recent killings signal growing insecurity for foreign workers in the country’s eastern areas.

In January last year, at least nine Pakistanis were killed and three sustained injuries in a firing incident in Iran's southeastern region near the border with Pakistan, just a day after Pakistan and Iran officially resumed diplomatic ties following a brief strain.

As per Iranian media, nine "foreigners" were slain in an armed attack in the country's southeastern region near the border with Pakistan. The report also stated that "no group has claimed responsibility" for the attack.

Two of the victims were labourers hailing from Pakistan's Lodhran area, as stated by their family, while five, including two brothers, belonged to Tehsil Alipur of Punjab's District Muzaffargarh.

The two worked at an auto-repair workshop in Iran.

The unfortunate incident came as a jolt in the neighbouring countries' efforts to mend bilateral ties following a short but aggressive episode of cross-border tensions that arose after Iran's surprise attack targeted at a militant outfit inside Pakistan.