Human Rights Group Accuses Pakistani Forces of Another Civilian Killing in Balochistan
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Quetta, March 27 (NationPress) A prominent human rights organization has claimed that Pakistani security forces have executed yet another extrajudicial killing of a civilian in Balochistan, escalating worries over human rights abuses in the area.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) reported that a 30-year-old farmer, Ubaid Ullah, was fatally shot on March 20 near Hajika Cross by members of Pakistan's Frontier Corps, who subsequently labeled him a militant.
The group asserted that no civilian in Balochistan is safe from the Pakistani military, with many being killed or forcibly disappeared only to be later classified as militants.
“In this region, the rule of law seems absent; instead, it resembles an unannounced state of martial law,” the BYC remarked.
Condemning the horrific act, the BYC described it as part of systemic oppression by Pakistani forces and demanded an immediate halt to such practices.
The organization urged international human rights groups to take urgent notice of these violations and to advocate for transparency, accountability, and the safeguarding of civilian lives throughout Balochistan.
In its recent report, the BYC noted a significant decline in the human rights situation in Balochistan during January and February, documenting various violations of essential human rights, including the fundamental right to life, committed by Pakistani authorities.
“This period has been characterized by escalating violence and lawlessness, where human life seems to have diminished to mere statistics. The Baloch identity appears to be the primary target of state-sanctioned violence. In a landscape of armed resistance against the state, civilians bear an unbearable brunt of the conflict. They are often labeled as traitors, terrorists, militants, insurgents, or criminals purely based on their Baloch identity, regardless of age, gender, or occupation,” the BYC stated.
“This historical and systematic state violence aims to maintain colonial dominance over land, resources, and people, exploit natural wealth, and suppress any form of resistance from indigenous populations,” it added.
The findings indicated a sharp increase in enforced disappearances, with 86 cases reported in January and 102 in February.
Furthermore, extrajudicial killings of civilians also rose following Baloch insurgent attacks on state and government facilities. In February alone, 46 civilians were reported killed—all young Baloch individuals, including five minors.
“Systematic torture and cruel treatment continue to inflict both physical and psychological suffering on victims and their families. Fundamental freedoms are suppressed, and laws are blatantly weaponized against Baloch citizens. State and governmental authorities employ collective punishment against entire families, communities, and native populations to break their spirit of resistance and render them as subjects stripped of basic rights,” the BYC emphasized.