The attack happened early Monday in the district of Musakhail in impoverished Baluchistan province, where security forces are battling sectarian, ethnic and separatist violence, AFP reported.
“At least 22 people were killed and 5 injured when militants stopped several busses, trucks and vans on a highway connecting Punjab with Baluchistan,” Najibullah Kakar, a senior official in Musakhail, said.
“Vehicles traveling to and from Punjab were inspected, and individuals from Punjab were identified and shot,” he added.
He said 19 Punjabis and 3 Baloch were killed, mostly Punjabi laborers.
Hameed Zehri, another senior official in the district, confirmed the death toll.
“It seems that the BLA (Baloch Liberation Army) terrorists are behind the incident,” he said.
The Baloch Liberation Army is the most active militant separatist group in the region.
Baluchistan is Pakistan’s largest but poorest province, despite an abundance of untapped natural resources.