Human Rights Council of Balochistan received partial details of enforced disappearances of at least 54 people, abducted by security forces and death squads. However, 12 people were later released while whereabouts of other 42 people remain unknown. Moreover, in the month of March, 31 cases of extrajudicial executions were also reported. Among the killed persons, 8 were women who were killed on the name of honor.
Enforced Disappearances:
Persecution of Students:
The persecution of ethnic Baloch students increased in recent months. In Balochistan, students have remained the prime target of security forces for years but the forces are now racially profiling Baloch students in other provinces. In the month of March, security forces involuntarily disappeared 8 more students.
According to details, Khalid Munir and Salman Ghafoor, residents of Gomazi area of district Kech were abucted by forces during a raid. They have not been charged with any crime and kept in incommunicado detention for last one month. Both are students of Balochistan Residential College Turbat.
On March 20, four students of University of Balochistan, Turbat campus were whisked away by forces on their way back to Turbat. The students were identified as Shafi Dildar, Naeem Rahmat, Ghulam Jan Saleh and Akbar Aslam. All four students belong to Shapuk area of district Kech and had returned to their hometown to visit their families. In protest, the families of victims blocked main China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) highway which connect Gwadar and Turbat to Quetta.
On March 29, Adam Mohammad Ali and Imran Shabir were abducted by secret agents from a tea stall in Muslim Town Lahore, Punjab. Both students are resident of Tijaban area of district Kech and had recently got admission in a graduation program.
Teacher:
On March 2nd, security forces once again detained Nazir Ahmed, a teacher by profession from city center of Khuzdar. Previously, he was forcibly disappeared in March 2021 and kept in incommunicado detention for three months. During the detention, he was subjected to inhuman torture and was later released without any explanation. Nazir Ahmed’s elder brother Munir Ahmed Shakir, a journalist by profession was shot dead by unknown gunmen in August, 2011. Local administration has failed to investigate the death of Munir Ahmed and enforced disappearance of Nazir Ahmed.
Journalist:
On March 13, security forces raided a house of Ghulam Farooq Jatoi, a journalist by profession and member of Press Club Dhadar, Bolan and forcibly disappeared him. The spokesperson of Press Club Dhadar condemned enforced disappearance of Ghulam Farooq Jatoi and demanded his immediate release.
Kidnap for Ransom:
The criminal elements, locally known as death squads have been operating in Balochistan under the supervision of military for years. In return, the members of death squads were granted free hand to abduct and kill. The death squads have been involved in abduction and killing of political activist and their family members. They have also been involved in land grabbing and kidnapping for ransom.
On March 4, Fateh Zabad was abducted by unknown gunmen from Hub area of district Lasbela and have demanded PKR 500,000 for his safe return. Fateh Zabad is a labor by profession and hardly manage to meet the end needs.
On March 17, a local death squad group kidnapped Dr Hashim Noor Baloch from city center of Turbat, Balochistan. He is resident of Balgatar area of district Panjgur and only bread winner of the family. The kidnappers demanded PKR 2 million for safe release of Dr Noor.
Extra Judicial Executions:
At least, 31 people including 8 women killed in the month of March. According to details, 11 militants were killed in clashes with military in different areas of Balochistan. 8 women were killed by their family members on the name of honor, 1 person was killed by Baloch National Army, a militant group in Balochistan and 2 people were killed by Frontier Corps in custody.
Honor Killings:
0n 05 March, Five people, including three women, were killed and two children were injured in a firing incident inside two houses in Nawa Kili area of Quetta. According to hospital sources, the dead include Muhammad Rafiq’s wife and his 18-year-old daughter, while a 6-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy were injured. The shooter is alleged to be the victim’s son-in-law. After killing his mother-in-law, father-in-law and fiancé, the accused went to another house and shot dead two more persons and escaped.
On March 11, a young girl Mahzaib daughter of Huzoor Bakhsh was killed by her uncle Rafiq in Labach area of district Awaran. According to details, Mahzaib married a boy against the will of her family in February this year and had been on run since then. The local administration however, arrested the accused and sent him to jail.
On March 17, a girl was brutally murdered and her body was dismembered before dumping in a water well. The district administration reached the spot, removed the body of the girl from the well and started searching for the killers. The husband of the slain girl revealed that his mother and cousin Saifullah son of Mohammad Alam Samalani were involved in the murder his wife. Later, the Levies Force, acting on the orders of Deputy Commissioner Khuzdar, arrested the girl’s mother-in-law while the accused Saifullah son of Muhammad Alam fled the scene on the night of the murder.
On March 27, a man shot dead his wife and injured another person in Dera Allah Yar area of Jafarabad. The accused later fled the scene and escaped. On the same day, in an another incident in Qaidi Shakh area of Jafarabad, Hajjan Jakhrani shot dead his sister-in-law Sachal Khatoon and escaped.
Custodial Killings:
On March 17, Pakistani security forces handed two dead bodies to Awaran Civil hospital and left without any explanation. The bodies were identified as Abdul Wahid son of Dad Mohammad and Mohammad Iqbal son of Mohammad Yaqub. According to details, Abdul Wahid, was a resident of Ashal Kolwah, who was abducted by forces on October 9 2021 during a raid and since then remained in the custody of forces. Similarly, Mohammd Iqbal was offloaded from a passenger bus on May 29 from Hub Chowki area of district Lasbela. Since then, his whereabouts remained unknown. He was a resident of district Khuzdar.
