Human rights organisations in Balochistan on 21 July documented the extrajudicial killing of an 18-year-old civilian and the enforced disappearance of two others, including a 15-year-old minor, allegedly at the hands of Pakistani security forces. The incidents, spread across Dera Bugti and Awaran districts, have drawn sharp condemnation from multiple Baloch rights bodies.

The Killing in Dera Bugti

The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) reported that Ahmed Ali Baloch, aged 18, was killed on 19 July in a landmine explosion in Dera Bugti district. The BYC alleged the landmine was planted by Pakistan-backed death squads operating in the region.

The rights body said Ahmed's death underscores a deepening humanitarian toll in Balochistan, where landmines in civilian areas — particularly in Dera Bugti and other conflict-affected zones — continue to claim the lives of ordinary people, including children and livestock herders.

'Ahmed Ali's death does not stand in isolation; it reflects the broader reality of present-day Balochistan, where enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and the operations of state-backed armed groups have become a daily occurrence. Landmines planted in civilian areas... continue to claim the lives of ordinary people, including children and livestock herders, turning their own land into a source of danger,' the BYC stated.

Two Civilians Forcibly Disappeared in Awaran

Paank, the human rights department of the Baloch National Movement, condemned the enforced disappearances of Saddam Hussain and Moaiz Jan, both residents of Awaran district. According to Paank, Saddam Hussain was forcibly disappeared on 17 July from the Hub Chowki region, while 15-year-old Moaiz Jan was abducted from the same area on 4 July.

Paank alleged that personnel from Pakistani security agencies were responsible for both disappearances. The families of the two men have received no official information about their fate or whereabouts since the incidents, according to the rights body.

Rights Bodies Demand Accountability

The BYC called for an independent, impartial, and transparent investigation into Ahmed's killing, the immediate dismantling of state-sponsored death squads, and the clearance of landmines from civilian-populated areas.

Paank warned that the continued practice of enforced disappearances constitutes a grave violation of international human rights law. 'The deliberate concealment of a person's whereabouts places them outside the protection of the law, exposing them to a heightened risk of torture and other forms of ill-treatment while causing severe psychological trauma to their families,' the organisation stated.

A Pattern of Escalating Violations

The incidents are not isolated. Rights groups have for years documented a pattern of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and the use of landmines against civilians across Balochistan. The BYC noted that peaceful political activists, students, and human rights defenders face 'harassment, arbitrary detention, and violent crackdowns simply for demanding truth and accountability.'

With no independent oversight mechanism in place and Pakistani authorities yet to respond to the latest allegations, rights organisations warn that impunity remains the defining feature of the security situation in the province. All three cases remain unresolved, and pressure for international scrutiny is likely to intensify.