Nearly two dozen armed men attacked the Zard Ghulam Jan Mangochar Grid Station late Saturday night, causing extensive damage and holding security guards and Quetta Electric Supply Company (Qesco) staff hostage. According to Qesco officials, approximately 20 attackers targeted the 132kV grid station, damaging key equipment such as the control room, high-power transformer, AC/DC panels, and other essential components.
The armed assailants overpowered the security guards, confiscating their 12-bore rifle, and threatened the staff at gunpoint. Shots were fired inside the grid station, and after forcing the staff and guards to vacate under life-threatening warnings, the attackers vandalized the premises. The staff eventually fled to safety.
Qesco filed a complaint with the local police to register an FIR against the attackers. Meanwhile, other incidents of sabotage have also come to light, including damage to the 132kV Yaro industrial transmission line near Kuchlak Bypass. The attackers used ropes to create technical faults and stole 700 meters of conductors along with various electrical components.
Qesco officials expressed alarm over the increasing number of theft and sabotage incidents affecting power infrastructure in Quetta, Mastung, Kalat, Dasht, and Sibi. These acts disrupt the power supply and endanger public safety, while also jeopardizing crucial national assets. Qesco urged consumers to proactively report any suspicious activity to help protect the infrastructure.
