- Karachi football team ambushed, robbed at gunpoint in Balochistan.
- Armed men stole valuables, assaulted players, leaving them stranded.
- Team traveled despite explicit security warnings for the high-risk region.
- Incident highlights serious ongoing security concerns on Balochistan highways.
A routine sports trip transformed into a terrifying ordeal in Balochistan after a Karachi football team traveling to participate in the Chief Minister’s Gold Cup was ambushed and robbed at gunpoint by a dozen armed men. According to a PTI report, the violent highway robbery has reignited serious concerns regarding regional security for traveling athletes.
The Karachi District West squad was en route to Quetta via the Mastung-Sariab highway when approximately 12 armed individuals intercepted their transport bus on Monday evening.
Armed Men Strip Players Of Valuables
Recounting the harrowing experience after reaching safety, team manager Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto detailed how the situation escalated rapidly on the desolate stretch of road.
“The armed men asked all the passengers to disembark from the bus and then took away all mobile phones, cash, and other valuables. They also butted some of the passengers,” Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto told PTI.
WATCH: Karachi Football Team Robbed At Gunpoint On Balochistan Highway
A #football team travelling from #Karachi to #Quetta was reportedly robbed near #Mastung By #BLA. The players lost phones and cash. They came as guests and deserve to feel safe.@mirsarfraz77 Sarfraz Bugti, please ensure their safety and help recover or compensate their losses.… pic.twitter.com/iYAfITK77y
— Baloch Nojawan (@Baloch_Nojawan) September 28, 2026
The assailants stripped the players and staff of all personal cash, mobile phones, and essential belongings, leaving the entire contingent stranded without funds upon their arrival in Quetta. The stranded athletes managed to brief the Balochistan sports minister regarding the attack, prompting an immediate administrative intervention to provide emergency daily allowances for the team.
Sindh Football Association Confirms Travel Against Warnings
Following the incident, Muhammad Azam, secretary of the Sindh Football Association and an affiliated unit of the Pakistan Football Federation, revealed that the team proceeded despite explicit safety advisories.
“We didn’t send the Sindh team and we advised all other clubs in Karachi to avoid going to Quetta by bus or train because of the security situation. The Karachi west team still went ahead and what we feared happened,” Muhammad Azam told PTI, adding that associations from Punjab and KPK had also opted out of sending contingents.
Security analysts note that the highway connecting Mastung district to Quetta has increasingly transformed into a high-risk zone, with insurgent factions frequently targeting travelers. The latest ambush follows closely on the heels of a separate security breach in Dera Bugti, where two local cricketers were recently abducted.
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