Pakistan, May 15 -- Unidentified gunmen have kidnapped the vice chancellor of the University of Gwadar and three other staff members in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, officials said on Thursday, in an incident that underscores persistent security challenges in a region central to Islamabad's economic and strategic ambitions.

The abductions took place near Mastung district on Wednesday night as Pakistan increasingly seeks to position Balochistan's Gwadar port as a strategic trade and energy hub amid regional tensions linked to the Strait of Hormuz, while also pushing ahead with major projects in the region including the multibillion-dollar Reko Diq copper and gold mine. Despite renewed government efforts to attract investme...