What Are the Implications of Recent Civilian Killings by Pakistani Death Squads in Balochistan?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Two Baloch civilians killed by death squads in Balochistan.
- Extrajudicial killings are part of a growing trend in the region.
- Human rights organizations are documenting these abuses.
- The international community is urged to take action.
- Enforced disappearances violate international human rights laws.
Quetta, Nov 5 (NationPress) Two more Baloch civilians have been extrajudicially killed by death squads supported by Pakistan in the Balochistan region, as reported by a prominent human rights organization on Wednesday.
This tragic event adds to the already alarming trend of state-sponsored violence characterized by a rise in extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and acts of torture throughout the province.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) reported that Najeeb Ullah, a 31-year-old government school employee from the Meri-a-Kallag area of Kech district, was brutally murdered by these death squads. The incident occurred on the morning of October 30, where armed attackers in a white Toyota Corolla opened fire on him.
“The execution of Najeeb Ullah underscores a persistent trend of extrajudicial killings and orchestrated encounters executed by state-supported militia in Balochistan. Such actions have generated a climate of fear, inflicting severe psychological trauma on the local populace,” stated the BYC.
Furthermore, the BYC disclosed that Abdul Khaliq, hailing from the Dashti Bazar area in Kech, was forcibly taken and subsequently murdered by death squads.
Following Khaliq's disappearance on October 28, his battered body was discovered four days later in the Kech River, showing multiple gunshot wounds and signs of brutal torture.
The BYC noted that Khaliq had previously served in Pakistan’s Frontier Corps (FC). During his service, he was allegedly coerced by higher-ranking military officials to partake in the torture and execution of Baloch detainees. His refusal to obey these unlawful commands, coupled with his decision to live independently, rendered him a target.
Local sources inform the BYC that Khaliq faced collective punishment and was ultimately abducted and killed by state-backed death squads in the area.
In a show of solidarity, the Baloch National Movement's Human Rights Department, Paank, condemned the enforced disappearances of two Baloch youths, Shayak Qambarani and Saleh Muhammad, by Pakistani security forces and Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) personnel in Quetta on Wednesday.
“Enforced disappearances represent a serious violation of international human rights law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, to which Pakistan is a signatory. Despite persistent appeals from human rights organizations, the state operates with complete impunity,” Paank remarked.
The rights organization has called for the immediate and unconditional release of all missing individuals, including Shayak Qambarani and Saleh Muhammad, urging the United Nations and international human rights bodies, such as Amnesty International, to urgently address the deteriorating human rights situation in Balochistan.