Quetta, Oct 28: Prince Muhammad Khan Ahmadzai, a member of the historic Kalat royal family, has been abducted by armed gunmen in Balochistan, Pakistan. Three security personnel accompanying him were also taken away. Following this incident, officials stated that Pakistani security forces conducted an operation in the Khuzdar region, killing five militants. Police are continuing a search operation to locate the Prince.
According to a preliminary investigation report from the police headquarters in Quetta, Prince Ahmadzai was traveling in his vehicle along the highway from Khuzdar towards Kalat on Monday night when a group of armed assailants intercepted the vehicle. They then forcibly took the Prince and his three security personnel to an undisclosed location.
No group has claimed responsibility: It is currently unknown where the Prince and his security personnel have been taken. Even though several hours have passed since the incident, no insurgent group or organization has claimed responsibility for the abduction.
Police and paramilitary forces have cordoned off the area and intensified the search operation. Immediately following the abduction, Pakistani security forces conducted an intelligence-based lightning operation in the Kharak area of the Khuzdar district in Balochistan. Babar Yousafzai, the Advisor on Home Affairs to the Chief Minister of Balochistan, stated that five militants were killed during a fierce encounter that ensued when security forces raided a terrorist hideout.
Historical Status: The title “Khan of Kalat” is the historical designation for the rulers of the ‘Khanate of Kalat’—an ancient princely state in Balochistan. This Brahui-led dynasty played a pivotal role in shaping the cultural, political, and sovereign identity of modern-day Balochistan. The Baloch people hold the Kalat royal family in high regard, viewing them with deep devotion and reverence; the family is seen as a symbol of Baloch nationalism.
Mir Suleman Dawood Khan, the 35th Khan of Kalat, has been living in exile in the United Kingdom (specifically in Wales) for several years, following disagreements with the Pakistani government and due to his stance supporting the Baloch struggle for independence. It is his son, Prince Muhammad Khan Ahmedzai, who has now been abducted. In Balochistan, local Baloch insurgents—including the BLA—have been engaged in an armed conflict against the Pakistani government and its military for decades.
Against this volatile backdrop, the abduction of a member of the royal family has triggered significant unrest in the region, fueling public outrage over the government’s failure.