Six govt officials abducted in Pak

Six government officials were today abducted by unknown gunmen in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province while they were heading to inspect a construction site.
Police said the general manager of Balochistan Development Authority (BDA) along with five other officials were kidnapped at gunpoint.
"The BDA officials were going to Killa Saifullah district to inspect construction of a road when they were abducted," they said.
A search operation has been launched in the area to locate the abducted officials.
Meanwhile, nearly two dozen militants belonging to the banned Baloch Republican Army (BRA) laid down arms before security forces in the province under a reconciliation policy announced by the Pakistani government.

They handed their weapons over to Frontier Corps personnel and other officers at a ceremony held in Noshki.

Pakistan's largest Balochistan province bordering Iran and Afghanistan is riven by sectarian strife and violence. Its nearly seven million residents have long complained they do not receive a fair share of its gas and mineral wealth.
Baloch separatists demanding more autonomy and control over gas and mineral resources have frequently targeted security forces and police for years.
Even labourers or workers from outside Balochistan have not been spared. Earlier this year, 20 labourers were abducted and shot dead while working on a dam project in the Sibi area.