Militants torch oil tanker in Mastung

Published
2

QUETTA: Armed militants torched an oil tanker carrying fuel for Saindak Copper and Gold Project run by a Chinese company in Mastung district of Balochistan on Saturday.

A senior police officer who requested not to be named since he was not authorised to speak to the media told Dawn.com that militants from nearby mountains opened fire on two oil tankers in Choto area of Mastung.

He said one tanker caught fire while the other tanker remained undamaged.

The police officer said there were no casualties as the drivers were quick to escape the scene.

The oil tankers were supplying fuel to Chinese run copper and gold project in Saindak area. Chinese have been operating the Saindak copper and gold project for the past few years.

This incident comes at a time when Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has signed eight mega agreements with the Chinese government during his five-day visit to the country.

Both countries have also agreed to build a 2,000 kilometre transport link running from the port city of Gwadar through Balochistan to Kashgar in northwestern China. The link will allow critical oil supplies from the Middle East to be transported to power-hungry China much faster.

Chief Minister Balochistan Dr Abdul Malik Baloch is also accompanying the prime minister during the China visit.

Opinion

Editorial

Electoral reform
Updated 04 Nov, 2026

Electoral reform

The real problem is the gulf between the statute book and what happens on polling day, not the laws.
Competing demands
04 Nov, 2026

Competing demands

THE climate crisis is becoming harder to confront as the world develops new ways to consume scarce resources. At an...
Belated meeting
Updated 04 Nov, 2026

Belated meeting

Whether it is Imran Khan, his family members, or other incarcerated political leaders and activists, the state should not deny them their rights.
An opening
Updated 03 Nov, 2026

An opening

If this brief opportunity for peace is wasted, sparking a wider conflict, the blame will rest squarely with the US president and the bloodthirsty Zionist regime.
Pakistan’s G-24 role
03 Nov, 2026

Pakistan’s G-24 role

PAKISTAN’S new role as chair of G-24 comes at a crucial moment for the Global South. Developing nations are...
Learning from polio
03 Nov, 2026

Learning from polio

THE eighth polio case of 2026, involving a 13-month-old girl from Khyber’s Bara tehsil, raises an important...