Over the past three-four days, there has been a sharp rise in alleged extrajudicial killings of forcibly disappeared persons in several areas of Balochistan. This has sparked widespread concern, and outrage, with at least 12 individuals reported killed in what families and rights groups are calling “staged encounters” over the last few days. According to reports emerging from Barkhan, Khuzdar, Mashkay, and Buleda, security forces have killed several previously missing persons in disputed clashes.
The families of the victims and local sources have claimed that these individuals had been in state custody before being executed and their bodies dumped. The families have alleged that the security forces are not even releasing the bodies for last rites even though they have learnt that some people have been killed. Due to rising temperatures, the families fear the decomposition of the bodies and ultimate disrespect to them not allowing them decent burials to the departed individuals.
In one incident which has come to light now, three bullet-riddled bodies were recovered on Monday from Mehma Samand Khan in Barkhan. The deceased were identified as Haq Nawaz Buzdar, Shero Buzdar, and Gul Zaman Buzdar, all from the Buzdar tribe. Local sources said Haq Nawaz was picked up from his home in Musakhel district on April 5, while Shero had been missing for the past nine months. Gul Zaman had also reportedly been in custody prior to the killing. Security forces have not issued any statement confirming a clash in the area. All the three persons were not involved in anti-state activities yet they were forcibly earlier and have been killed in cold blood, according to family members.
Meanwhile, in Buleda’s Gardank area, two young men — Mehrab s/o Rehamdil and Khan Mohammad s/o Haibtan — were allegedly detained from their homes on the morning of April 6 and killed hours later. Both were cousins, and their families claim they were tortured to death. Authorities have reportedly refused to hand over their bodies, leading to unrest in the region. The two boys killed by the security forces were minors, one aged 17 and the other one just 13, and were targeted by the security forces. The deceased were in open fields hunting for seasonal birds which is something fairly common in their area, according to The Balochistan Post reports.
On April 5, security forces also claimed to have killed three suspects in a clash in Baghbana, Khuzdar. One of the deceased was identified as 28-year-old Abdul Malik s/o Mohammad Yousaf from Kohing, Kalat. He had allegedly been forcibly disappeared from Turbat on October 11, 2024. After keeping him in custody for almost six months, the security forces have bumped him off along with two other individuals, unidentified so far. That same day, on April 5 (Saturday), three more bodies were found in Mashkay, all showing signs of gunshot wounds. The victims were identified as Zahoor s/o Huzoor, Shah Nawaz s/o Jalal, and Habib s/o Eido. Families and activists accuse the state of carrying out extrajudicial executions and dumping the bodies.
In another case, Nadir Baloch from Kandhari, Mashkay, was abducted from his home during a raid by security forces on April 6. A day later, his bullet-riddled body was found in a remote area.
These are some of the incidents getting reported from different areas all over Balochistan, where families of missing persons and Baloch political groups say enforced, disappearances are followed by fake encounters. While security agencies often link the deceased to armed groups, families and human rights defenders reject these claims, calling the killings state-sanctioned and unlawful. These ruthless killings by “death squads’’ (armed groups backed by Pakistani forces), counter terrorism department (CTD) and intelligence agencies is adding to discontent among the public.
Several human rights groups have been demanding transparency and independent investigations into these killings. However, there is no accountability of any sort for those carrying guns with the backing of provincial and Federal governments. This sickening cycle of enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests of peaceful activists and wanton violence has been continuing unabated.
