Karachi Football Team Robbed at Gunpoint on Balochistan Highway

A 20-member Karachi District West football team travelling to Quetta for the Chief Minister’s Gold Cup tournament was robbed at gunpoint by armed men on a highway in Balochistan, highlighting fresh security concerns for sports teams travelling through the province.

The incident took place on Monday evening between Mastung and Sariab, when around a dozen armed men intercepted the bus carrying the football players and other passengers. According to team manager Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, the attackers ordered everyone to get off the bus and took away mobile phones, cash and other valuables.

A separate report said the armed men had blocked the bus by positioning a vehicle in front of it and kept the passengers under their control for about an hour while searching them for valuables. The attackers reportedly had their faces covered with scarves. Some passengers and players were also assaulted during the incident.

After the robbers left, the bus was allowed to continue towards Quetta. The team later informed tournament organisers and the Balochistan sports minister about the incident. The players were reportedly left without money and told organisers that they did not even have funds for basic expenses. Daily allowances were subsequently arranged for the squad, while the team manager also sought compensation for the losses suffered by the players.

The incident occurred despite warnings from the Sindh Football Association. Its secretary, Muhammad Azam, said the association had decided against sending its own team and had advised Karachi clubs not to travel to Quetta by bus or train because of the security situation.

Azam also said the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa football associations had not sent teams to the tournament.

The robbery comes amid wider security concerns in Balochistan. Earlier in September, two local cricketers, Zakir Bugti and Wardan Bugti, were abducted near the Kachhi Canal area in Dera Bugti while returning from a cricket match. Police and security forces subsequently launched a search operation, while no group had claimed responsibility at the time.

The Mastung-Quetta highway has increasingly been described in reports as a trouble spot for travellers, adding to concerns over the safety of sports teams and other passengers using the route.