Quetta (Pakistan-occupied Balochistan): A new human rights report on conditions in occupied-Balochistan presents a horrific picture, with the Pakistani forces found to be relentless in its oppression against the locals there.
The report by Paank, the human rights wing of Baloch National Movement (BNM), for the month of November 2023 has documented 13 extrajudicial killings and 62 ‘enforced disappearances’ by the Pakistani army, according to a statement.
The distressing situation of enforced disappearances carried out by the Pakistani forces was found across Balochistan — 5 individuals being victims in Shaal, 17 in Kech, 2 in Lasbela, 14 in Awaran, 1 in Panjgur, 4 in Dera Bugti, 1 in Mastung, 3 in Khuzdar, 2 in Kharan, 1 in Chagai, 1 in Chaman, 1 in Sibi, 7 in Gwadar, and an individual in Naseerabad.
The report outlines tragic incidents in Buzdad and Perandar in Awaran district, where 2 people were killed inside their homes by the Pakistani forces, the statement says.
Furthermore, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) was implicated in the deaths of three forcibly missing persons in a staged encounter in Khuzdar district.
Additionally, false police encounter claims resulted in the deaths of seven disappeared individuals in custody within the Kech district.
The report highlighted the appalling events in Balgatar, Kech district, on November 19, 2023 when 3 members of a family—Shah Jahan, Nabi Dad, and Adil—were forcibly disappeared, placed in a rigged vehicle, and killed in a bomb blast.
Investigations suggested complicity involving the Pakistan Army, the Police Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), and local operative Khalid Yaqoob in these heinous acts, it said.
“The tragedy exposed systemic violations by state institutions and the orchestrated nature of extrajudicial killings and disappearances,” the statement said.
The disturbing trend continued in Turbat, Kech district, on November 28, 2023, when police presented the bodies of Saifullah, Shakoor, Abdul Wadud, and Balach—individuals who forcibly disappeared—as casualties of a confrontation.
This revelation sparked vehement protests, particularly from the family of Balach, condemning the act as a severe case of extrajudicial custodial killings.
“The escalating misuse of power by the CTD, staging false encounters, has transformed it into a tool for violence, necessitating urgent disarmament to prevent further atrocities,” the statement said.
The report also sheds light on the plight of students, who face discrimination and enforced disappearances, turning educational institutions into military-controlled zones. I
nstances of unjustified force were observed at Lasbella University, where students were barred from bringing books and participating in academic discussions, culminating in the enforced disappearance of Sameer Baloch on November 17, 2023.
“The gravity of the situation in Balochistan demands immediate international attention and accountability for those responsible for these gross human rights violations,” it says.
Despite consistent efforts to raise awareness, the humanitarian crisis in Balochistan continues to be ignored, necessitating urgent intervention to safeguard the lives and rights of its people, the BNM says.
