In a region where extremists have traditionally carried out ethnic violence against outsiders, authorities in southwest Pakistan announced on Thursday that six migrant workers had been shot and killed.
The men died late on Wednesday at their residence, which was 25 kilometers (15 miles) from Gwadar in the region of Balochistan, where a deepwater port has been made possible by significant Chinese investment.
The guys, who were barbers and had moved to the area, were probably targeted because they belonged to Punjabi, the most powerful and numerous ethnic group in Pakistan, according to the police.
“We are investigating the matter at the moment but apparently it looks like they were attacked because they were Punjabis,” said Muhammad Mohsin, a senior police official in Gwadar, adding that six were killed and one was injured.
A second police official Zohaib Ahmad confirmed the death toll and said they were shot dead inside their home.
Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest but poorest province, despite an abundance of natural resources.
In the past, militants have targeted foreign interests they feel are abusing the impoverished region without sharing its wealth, as well as ethnic Punjabis and Sindhis.
Particularly Punjabis are thought to predominate in the military, which is engaged in combat with Balochistani armed forces.
When a bus was halted by six gunmen last month in the Balochistan province near the city of Naushki, eleven Punjabi laborers were killed in the area.
Beijing is the closest regional friend of Islamabad, often lending money to help its frequently struggling neighbor and investing over $2 trillion in infrastructure projects.
That being said, both nations are quite concerned about the security of Chinese laborers.
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