Quetta, July 13 (IANS) At least four more civilians have been extrajudicially killed by Pakistani forces in Balochistan, a leading human rights organisations alleged on Monday.
These latest incidents come against the backdrop of a growing wave of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances across the province.
Paank, the Baloch National Movement’s Human Rights Department, strongly condemned the extrajudicial killing of two brothers, Imam and Muhammad Umar, residents of the Shaban Bazaar area in Kech district.
Citing reports, the rights body said that the two brothers, who worked as labourers in the Jiwani area, were returning home on July 10 when their motorcycle reportedly ran out of fuel near Balicha Cross. It further cited eyewitness accounts who alleged that both Imam and Umar were taken into custody by the Pakistani security forces and were later found dead with gunshot marks.
Paank stated that their bodies were handed over to their family by the police on Monday
Calling for a prompt, independent, impartial, and transparent investigation into the incident, the rights body said that if these allegations are confirmed, those responsible must be held accountable in accordance with international human rights standards.
It also urged the authorities to ensure justice for the victims’ family and to end the pattern of alleged “enforced disappearances and unlawful killings” in Balochistan.
In a separate incident, a 35-year-old tractor driver, Riaz Baloch from Dera Bugti district, reportedly died on July 10 following severe torture by Pakistan’s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) during custody.
Human rights body Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) revealed that Riaz Baloch was forcibly disappeared by the CTD during a raid on his home on June 12.
During his detention, the rights body said, he was subjected to severe torture.
The BYC cited Riaz’s family, who alleged that CTD officials demanded Pakistani Rupees 5 million for his release. After the payment, Riaz was released on June 13 June in critical condition. Due to the extent of the torture inflicted upon him, the rights body said, he was shifted to Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi, for medical treatment, where he succumbed to his injuries on July 10.
“The death of Riaz Baloch highlights the pattern of enforced disappearances, custodial torture, and extortion carried out under the guise of counterterrorism operations in Balochistan. Instead of upholding the law, security institutions continue to target civilians, subjecting them to illegal detention, torture, and financial exploitation, leaving families devastated and without justice,” the BYC noted.
Amid the rising atrocities, the BYC revealed that another 20-year-old student, Kamran Baloch, was targeted and killed on July 8 by Pakistan-backed death squads in Khuzdar district.
“The brutal killing of Kamran Baloch is yet another tragic reminder of the continuing violence against the Baloch people and the deepening human rights crisis in Balochistan,” the rights body stated.
The BYC called on the global community, the United Nations, and international human rights organisations to urgently take notice of the grave human rights situation in Balochistan.
“No one is safe, not students, not teachers, not doctors, not labourers, nor ordinary civilians. People continue to face enforced disappearances, targeted killings, and other grave human rights violations without justice or accountability,” it highlighted.
–IANS
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