A Wedding That Never Happened
For Sabir Toor, a 35-year-old government employee from Punjab, September was a month of joy. His younger brother Jabir was preparing for his wedding, which coincided with the Islamic month of Rabiul Awwal. Traditionally, Muslims celebrate this month with lights and decorations marking the birth of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him).
Instead, Sabir is grieving. Terrorists brutally executed Jabir, 37, and another brother, Usman two months ago.
Pulled Off a Bus and Killed
The brothers were traveling from Quetta to Multan to attend their father’s funeral. Their bus was ambushed on the Loralai-Musakhel highway, a notorious, insurgency-prone corridor of Balochistan. Armed militants boarded the bus, checked passengers’ identity cards, and pulled out Punjabi travelers. The brothers were shot dead on the spot.
“It was targeted,” Sabir said. “They were taken off the bus because they were Punjabi.”
The banned Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) claimed responsibility for the killings.
A Family’s Grief
Sabir recalls his frantic search after hearing scattered reports of an attack. His teary-eyed video appeal went viral on social media. “We were supposed to gather as a family to bid farewell to our father,” he said. “Instead, I buried my brothers with him.”
Jabir and Usman had lived in Quetta since 2017, running a small business selling cosmetics, jewellery, and household items. “Their income was the backbone of our family,” Sabir said. “Both were unmarried. We were preparing for Jabir’s wedding. The joy is gone.”
Pattern of Ethnic Killings
The July ambush was not an isolated incident. Over the past year, Baloch insurgents have repeatedly targeted Punjabi civilians.
In April 2024, nine Punjabi passengers were executed near Noshki. In August 2024, militants killed 23 travelers in Musakhail and torched vehicles. In February 2025, seven passengers were shot dead in Barkhan.
According to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), 17 such attacks occurred between January 2024 and August 2025. At least 81 Punjabi civilians were killed and 30 injured.
