Is Violence in Balochistan Rising with Extrajudicial Killings by Pakistani Forces?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Quetta, Jan 10 (NationPress) As the situation worsens for civilians in Balochistan, prominent human rights organizations revealed on Saturday the alarming extrajudicial killings of two Baloch individuals by Pakistani forces. Paank, the Human Rights Department of the Baloch National Movement, reported that a local named Balach Baloch from the Tasp area in Panjgur district was shot dead on January 8, following an attempted detention by individuals believed to be affiliated with a Pakistan-backed death squad.
The organization emphasized, “This incident exemplifies a troubling trend in Balochistan, where state forces resort to using proxy armed groups for enforced disappearances and target killings, frequently aimed at political and social activists, as well as their families. These actions represent significant breaches of international human rights standards.”
In addition, another rights organization, Baloch Voice for Justice (BVJ), disclosed on Saturday that a young boy, Raahi Baloch, was murdered outside his shop in the Hoshab area of Kech district on January 5.
According to local reports, the BVJ implicated a Pakistan-backed death squad in Raahi's death, characterizing this tragic event as part of a continuous genocide against Baloch civilians.
“This murder takes place amidst a rising tide of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings targeting Baloch children. Just days prior, a 13-year-old boy, Gohram Baloch, was abducted in Quetta. Similar incidents continue to emerge across Balochistan, with allegations pointing towards the involvement of state security forces and their allied armed factions,” the BVJ reported.
Meanwhile, the latest findings from the Human Rights Council of Balochistan (HRCB) identified at least 1,455 enforced disappearances in 2025.
The HRCB stated that the Pakistan Frontier Corps was implicated in the majority of these abductions, with 889 cases recorded. Additionally, Pakistani intelligence agencies were reportedly involved in 288 cases, followed by the Counter Terrorism Department with 233 cases, and death squads in 41 incidents.
The rights organization revealed that house raids were the predominant method of abduction, accounting for 985 instances, trailed by detentions at 372, checkpoints at 66, and individuals summoned to military facilities at 32.
The people of Balochistan are currently striving for their independence from Pakistan.
Numerous human rights organizations within Balochistan have consistently highlighted the oppressive tactics employed by Pakistani forces in the region. These tactics encompass violent raids on the residences of Baloch leaders and civilians, unlawful detentions, enforced disappearances, the alleged ‘kill and dump’ strategy, arrests under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, and the filing of fabricated criminal charges.