The Foreign Office (FO) announced on Wednesday that the bodies of nine Pakistani nationals, who were fatally shot in Iran last week, are scheduled to be airlifted today from the Taftan border to Multan.

The tragic incident occurred on January 27 when unidentified assailants attacked a house in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan province near the border with Pakistan, resulting in the deaths of nine Pakistani workers. The neighbouring countries were attempting to ease tensions after recent cross-border fire incidents.

Iran’s Mehr news agency reported that the attackers, whose identity remains unknown, killed nine non-Iranians in the Sirkan neighborhood of Saravan city. Three Pakistanis were also injured in the indiscriminate firing. The victims hailed from Punjab, specifically from Multan, Muzaffargarh, and Bahawalpur districts.

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In response to the brutal attack, Pakistan demanded a comprehensive investigation and swift prosecution of those responsible. The Foreign Office condemned the “horrifying and despicable” incident, emphasizing the need for an immediate inquiry into the matter.

Addressing the concerns of the victims’ relatives, who had protested in Alipur, the FO spokesperson, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, stated on X (formerly Twitter), “The mortal remains of nine Pakistani nationals, who were killed in a terrorist attack in Sistan-Baluchestan province of Iran on January 27, are being airlifted today from Taftan border to Multan. May Allah grant them the highest abodes in heaven. Our thoughts and prayers are with their loved ones.

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The mortal remains of nine Pakistani nationals, who were killed in a terrorist attack in Sistan o Baluchestan Province of Iran on 27 January 2024, are being airlifted today from Taftan border to Multan. May Allah grant them the highest abodes in heaven. Our thoughts and prayers…

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) January 31, 2024