Tragedy in Balochistan: Karachi Businessman Killed, Wife Injured After Taking Wrong Turn Due to Navigation Error
Irfan Ali
QUETTA / KARACHI: What was supposed to be a joyful family vacation turned into an absolute nightmare when a businessman from Karachi, Ali Murtaza Jameel, was shot dead and his wife critically injured after their vehicle was ambushed by unidentified gunmen in the Dasht area of Mastung district, Balochistan. The couple’s two minor daughters, aged between four and five, miraculously survived the attack physically unharmed but remain in deep psychological trauma.
According to family sources and local authorities, Ali Murtaza had traveled from Karachi to Quetta with his family to visit his close friend, Ahsan Khan. After spending a few pleasant days exploring the scenic beauty of Ziarat and Hanna Urak, the family decided to drive back to Karachi late Friday night. Despite strong insistence from his host to avoid night travel and depart the following morning, Ali chose to leave at around 11:00 PM due to urgent commitments back home.
The Tragic Detour: Initial police investigations suggest that the family lost their way near Sariab Road. Unfamiliar with the terrain and reportedly misled by Google Maps navigation on an uncompleted stretch of the Quetta-Karachi highway, Ali inadvertently turned onto the hazardous Quetta-Sibi route instead of heading toward Lakpass.
As their car reached the desolate area of 'Dasht Kambela'—a region historically plagued by insurgent activity—unidentified armed men opened fire on the vehicle. Ali Murtaza died on the spot, while his wife sustained five bullet wounds. The traumatized mother and her two children reportedly remained stranded inside the bullet-riddled vehicle for nearly three hours before law enforcement agencies reached the scene at around 4:00 AM to rescue them.
Family's Grief and Grievances: Speaking to the media, the victim’s grieving father, Jameel, expressed profound anger over the security situation. "My son always had a positive view of Balochistan and its hospitality. If the lives of visitors cannot be protected, the government must issue a clear warning restricting people from going there," he demanded. He also alleged that security forces delayed their rescue operations till dawn due to security risks, a claim strongly refuted by Babar Yousafzai, the Media Advisor to the Balochistan Home Department, who maintained that security personnel immediate secured the survivors and shifted them to Quetta.
Official Response: The Home Minister of Balochistan, Mir Ziaullah Langau, strongly condemned the attack, terming it a cowardly act that violates the cultural and moral values of Balochistan. He vowed that the perpetrators would be brought to justice. Meanwhile, the provincial government facilitated the immediate shifting of the victim’s body and his injured wife to Karachi, where she is currently hospitalized and stated to be out of danger. Furthermore, the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister of Balochistan contacted the aggrieved family to offer condolences and announced that the government would bear all educational expenses of the victim's daughters.
