QUETTA, April, 3: A prominent lawyer and former advocate general of Balochistan, Salahuddin Mengal, was kidnapped by unknown armed men from Sariab Road area, on Wednesday.

Balochistan caretaker Chief Minister Nawab Ghous Bakhsh Barozai ordered the administration to take steps for his early recovery.

Police sources said that Mr Mengal was on his way home in his car along with his brother after attending the Balochistan High Court. When he reached near his home on Sariab Road, unknown armed men intercepted his car and took him away.

“Kidnappers dragged him out of his car and took him with them towards an unknown destination,” police quoted Najamuddin Mengal, brother of Mr Mengal, as saying. Mr Mengal was driving the car when the incident took place.

The kidnappers, five in number, intercepted the car of the former AG who is also a leader of Pakistan Muslim League-N, at gunpoint, DIG Operations Fayyaz Sumbal said.

“We are raiding suspected places to trace the former AG,” he said.

Mr Mengal served as Advocate General of Balochistan for more than 10 years and recently joined the PML-N.

Meanwhile, people blocked Sariab Road to protest against the kidnapping.

BOYCOTT APPEAL: The Balochistan Bar Association  has appealed to lawyers in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Peshawar to boycott court proceedings on Thursday in protest against the kidnapping, our correspondent Amanullah Kasi adds.

Ataullah Lango, General Secretary of the BBA, said in a statement that lawyers had decided to boycott courts on Thursday to protest against the incident and to force the government to take immediate action for safe recovery of the lawyer.