Balochistan: 20 killed, 12 forcibly disappeared

At least 20 people were killed and 12 forcibly disappeared in different areas of Balochistan, as the military continues its crackdown against a separatist insurgency in the region.

Four persons, who had been previously abducted by “unknown gunmen”, were found dead in October 2019.

“Unknown gunmen” are masked men, who locals believe are sponsored by the military to target families of Baloch insurgents and political activists.

On 5 October, a bullet-riddled decomposed body was found in the Mandig Kaor area of Mand, a town in district Kech that borders Iran. The body was identified as that of Ali Akbar Akram. He had been previously abducted by members of local death-squad. The body bore marks of severe torture.

Ali Akbar Akram. Photo:Aashoob

On 7 October, two bodies were found in Turbat. They were later identified as Saddam Dashti and Masud Murad. Both were abducted by “unknown gunmen” from separate villages a day earlier.

On October 4, the decomposed body of Maula Bakhsh Abdul Wahid was found in Zangi Nawad area of district Nohski.

Also, four men are shot killed by “unknown gunmen” in Balochistan during the month.

On October 7, masked gunmen gunned down a Hindu merchant, Ashok Kumar in Jumma Khan Hotel, district Lasbela for unknown reason.

On October 8, Rahim Bakhsh, a resident of Gichk Kahn area of district Panjgur, was shot dead by unknown gunmen while another person, Nizam was injured in the incident. 

On October 12, Mujib Jami resident of Kashap, Dasht, district Kech was killed by unknown gunmen. According to the locals, he was a member of a local death-squad.

Mujeeb Jami. Photo: CB News

On October 15, unknown gunmen shot killed Anwar Ababaki in Hazarganji, Quetta. His father was abducted by the security forces in 2010, and is missing since then.

Besides, two unknown bodies were found in Quetta and one in Lasbela regions of Balochistan in October.

On October 3, an unidentified body was found in Killi Qambarani, district Quetta, and was then moved to hospital for further investigations. 

On the same day, the body of a woman was found in Killi Khali near Khezai bypass in Quetta. The body was sent to hospital for medical examination.

On October 25, a decomposed body was found from Windar, district Lasbela near the motorway. The body was sent to the nearest hospital and then sent to the Edhi Foundation. The body was decomposed beyond recognition.

Enforced Disappearances

Enforced disappearance continued in the month of October. Dozens were abducted by personnel of Frontier Corps, but most of them were released later. Yet twelve of them remain missing till the time of filing this report.

On October 08, Pakistani forces abducted a 14-years-old boy, Nadim Darwesh, from Sakuran area of district Hub where he had been living for quite some time after his village, Kohado, in Jahoo, district Awaran was evacuated by military. Nadim is the fourth victim of enforced disappearance in the same family.

On October 12, Frontier Corps personnel conducted a raid in the Awaran region and abducted three persons — Dad Muhammad Baran, Sabir Lal and Elahi Bakhsh Hamza.

On 14 October, forces raided the house of Miskan Baloch in Babbarshor area of Pasni, district Gwadar and inquired about his son Hamid. Later, forces took Miskan to the place where his son went for picnic and abducted his son while Miskan Baloch was let go.

On October 16, Muhammad Yaqub resident of Badokasht area of Jahl, Zehri, district Khuzdar was abducted by Frontier Corps in Surab while he was going to Khuzdar with his family.

On October 17, forces whisked away a student, Amir Jamaldini, a resident of Killi Bato, Noshki from Cadet College Noshki.

On October 18, personnel of Frontier Corps and intelligence agencies abducted Arif Irshad resident of Hoshap, Naseem Karim Bakhsh and Dil Murad Nasir, residents of Gwarkop from Koh-e-Murad, Turbat. The next day Naseem and Dil Murad were released while the whereabouts of Arif Irshad are still unknown.

On October 27, forces took away a resident of Ward No.1, Pasni, district Gwadar named as Irfan Ghani while he was on his way from Gwadar to Pasni.

Irfan Ghani.

On October 29, forces abducted Farid Fazal and Nadil Abdul Nabi during a raid in Maher area of Mand, district Kech. The military is constructing a camp in Maher and often raid local houses in search of suspects.

From R to L: Nadil Abdul Nabi and Farid Fazal. Photo Aashoob News
Human Rights Council of Balochistan (Hakkpaan) is a non-profit and non-partisan human rights group based in Balochistan and Sweden. It collects reports from Balochistan, a region Pakistan government does not allow any media and HR group to visit and report. Human rights violations in Balochistan is not a new phenomenon, but it got its worst levels after the Military coup de tat of Pakistan in 1999. Thousands of Baloch have been reported missing, hundreds killed in fake encounters and so-called kill and dump policy of the military. HRCB collects the data from Balochistan itself, through its network of volunteers and supporters, organizes and reports them to the human rights mechanisms of the world.