Unidentified armed men on Monday shot dead a Hindu trader in the main bazaar of Mastung town. The deceased, identified as Deewan, was shifted to the nearby hospital for legal formalities after which the dead body was handed over to the heirs. There has been an increase in incidents of harassment of the minority Hindu community in Balochistan during the last few years and several members of them, especially traders and businessmen, have been kidnapped for ransom or targeted with extortion demands. Reports have said dozens of Hindu families from the restive province have applied for asylum in India.
