Balochistan: Civilian Extrajudicial Killing and Disappearances Raise Alarm
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Quetta, March 5 (NationPress) Amid escalating violence against civilians in Balochistan, a prominent human rights organization revealed on Thursday the extrajudicial killing of a civilian and the forcible disappearance of two others, purportedly by Pakistani forces.
These distressing events emerge amidst a troubling trend of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances within the province.
The Baloch National Movement’s Human Rights Department, Paank, reported that the bullet-riddled body of Fateh Baloch was discovered in the Mashkai area of Awaran district on Wednesday, nearly two months after his forcible disappearance.
According to the rights group, Fateh Baloch, who worked as a driver, was taken by Pakistani forces on January 13 while he was stopped at a Frontier Corps (FC) checkpoint along with passengers.
“Fateh was the sole provider for his family. His abduction occurred without any legal grounds or justification, plunging his family into distress and uncertainty regarding his fate. For weeks, they were left in the dark about his whereabouts, often seeking information from authorities but receiving no answers. They lived in perpetual anxiety, wishing for his safe return,” Paank stated.
Condemning this incident, the rights organization asserted that the details surrounding Fateh’s death indicate a clear case of extrajudicial killing. His body bore signs of violence, raising urgent concerns about unlawful detention, torture, and the persistent pattern of enforced disappearances in Balochistan.
Highlighting further atrocities against civilians, Paank disclosed that Minwar Akhtar, a resident of the Absar locality in Turbat city of Kech district, was taken from his home on Wednesday night by Pakistani security forces.
In another instance, Zameer Ahmed, from the Taar office area in Panjgur district, was forcibly disappeared on March 3 by Pakistani military intelligence.
On the same day, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) reported another case of extrajudicial killing in Balochistan, revealing that 17-year-old Yahya Baloch’s body was found in an FC Camp in Panjgur district on March 3.
The BYC noted that Yahya was killed mere hours after being abducted from his home by a Pakistan-backed death squad in conjunction with FC personnel.
They emphasized that Yahya’s abduction and subsequent brutal death illustrate a disturbing trend where individuals are taken from their homes, murdered, and their bodies discarded.
“The ongoing recovery of bodies in Balochistan highlights the severity of this crisis. Families are left mourning, devoid of answers, and without access to justice. The international community, alongside human rights organizations and legal institutions, must urgently call for accountability to halt the enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Balochistan,” the BYC stated.