The situation in Balochistan during the month of April remained grim. Human Rights Council of Balochistan received partial details of at least fifty extrajudicial killings including three victims of enforced disappearance killed by Frontier Corps in a fake encounter. Moreover, thirty-one people were forcibly disappeared by Frontier Corps and the military’s shadow organizations. Five people were later released whereas the whereabouts of the rest remained unknown.
According to the details, at least fifty people were killed during the month of April 2023. Among them, thirty-three were targeted and killed, eight people were killed by Baloch militant groups, seven people including three women were killed in the name of honor, three people died in a bomb explosion, and six people were killed by Frontier Corps including three victims of enforced disappearance in a fake encounter.
Fake Encounters:
For the last several years, security forces have extrajudicially killed victims of enforced disappearance in custody and claimed to kill them during military operations or encounters. However, in recent years, fake encounters have risen drastically. The perpetrators include the police counter-terrorism department (CTD), frontier corps, and the army.
On April 19, 2023, the frontier corps personnel brought three dead bodies to the civil hospital Quetta and claimed to kill them during a military operation. The bodies were identified as Ghulam Fareed Shahwani, Azeem Khan and Hazrat Sumalani. All three victims forcibly disappeared by forces months ago and had been in the custody of forces since then.
Ghulam Fareed Shahwani son of Ghulam Mustafa Shahwani was a resident of Mastung district. He was abducted by forces in August 2022 and had been in the custody of forces since then.
The second victim was identified as Azeem Khan son of Yar Khan Marri, a resident of Nishpa, Harnai. He was abducted on Marchi 21, 2023 from a check post when he was traveling from Quetta to Nishpa, Harnai. He had been in the custody of forces since then. Moreover, in August 2017, during a military operation, forces killed nine members of his family including his mother, sister, sister-in-law, and niece.
Hazrat Sumalani son of Mohammad Khan is a resident of Sanjawal. On March 23, 2023, he was abducted by forces from the Harnai area of Balochistan and had been in the custody of forces since then. He also forcibly disappeared in 2017 and after 7 months of incommunicado detention, he was released.
Enforced Disappearance:
On 02 April, According to eyewitnesses, Pakistani forces raided a house in Kharan Wapda Mazarzai Mohalla near Hafiz Khan Muhammad Mosque in Kharan City around 2 o’clock in the afternoon and detained a person named Uzair Mazarzai son of Muhammad Rahim Mazarzai, and transferred him to an unknown location.
On 05 April, forces raided a shop in Mangochar and whisked away Saawal son of Mehrullah resident of Mangochar. His whereabouts are unknown since then.
On 06 April, a student, Abrar Jatak was detained by forces from Civil Colony in the Khuzdar area and shifted to an unknown location.
On 06 April, Pakistani forces detained two people, Shahzad Raisani and Jalil, from the football ground of DPC College in Khuzdar and shifted them to an unknown location.
On 10 April, security forces whisked away Hayat, a resident of the Tump area of district Kech from Jamgoth area of Karachi along with his two sons, Amir and Jalal. Hayat and Amir were released after a few hours whereas, the whereabouts of Jalal remained unknown.
On the same day, Tahir son of Ustad Aziz, a resident of Absar Turbat was abducted by forces from his shop. He remained disappeared since then.
In a separate raid, forces detained Ahmad Nazir and Shoaib Liaquat from Absar Turbat and were transferred to an unknown location.
On the other hand, Babu Murad, Waris, and Asif were abducted by forces from the Sargwat area of Kalari, Lyari. According to details, the forces detained Baba Murad from his house. On the resistance of his family, the forces severely tortured the women and children. While Asif and Waris were abducted from the Marriott Hotel. All three victims work as security guards at Marriott Hotel.
On 13 April, Sher Zaman son of Sarbat Khan, and Shoaib son of Ali Akbar Bangulzai abducted from Achakzai Plaza Quetta. According to the family members, they were abducted by Pakistani intelligence agencies. The missing Sher Zaman and Shoaib Bengalzai are students of Balochistan University. Sher Zaman was later released on 20 April, while Shoaib is still missing.
On 15 April, Dr. Nabi Dad Bugti and Dr. Fayyaz Lashari were abducted by the Pakistani security forces from Ziarat Cross at around 7:00 pm while traveling from Islamabad to Quetta. Both are pursuing the degree of Masters in Public Health at Health Services Academy in Islamabad. Dr Nabi Dad Bugti was later released while the whereabouts of Dr. Fayyaz are still unknown.
On 15 April, A young man named Shehzad son of Wahid forcibly disappeared after being detained by Pakistani forces and intelligence agencies from the Tump Dazan area of Kech. This is the second time that Shehzad was subjected to enforced disappearance. A year ago, he was taken into custody and forcibly disappeared for a few months, and released after subjecting him to inhuman torture.
On 19 April, Pakistan forces abducted Hanif son of Qaiser, a resident of Paroom Rish Pesh, and shifted him to an unknown location. Earlier in June 2018, he was detained by forces and held in incommunicado detention for two years.
On 19 April, according to the details, two Baloch youths named Shehzad Baloch and Zaheer Shah Khetran from Barkhan district of Balochistan have gone missing after being allegedly detained from Rawalpindi. Since then, their whereabouts are unknown.
On 21 April, businessman Ajay Sidhurlal and his friend Irfan son of Faqir Mohammad went missing when they were traveling from Panjgur to Karachi.
On 26 April, Hamza son of Shikari, an old man, and Josal son of Khairu, were abducted during a military operation in the Nali area of Mach. Hamza son of Shikari was abducted once in June last year and was released after severe torture.
On 29 April, during a military operation, Frontier Corps soldiers abducted Bashir Ahmed son of Taj Mohammad Sumalani and his younger brother from the Khorasak Dohlidi area of Khuzdar. The forces also took away all the livestock of nomads living in the mountains.
On 29 April, Pakistani forces raided an oil market located in the Tump Dazan area of Kech and detained a young man named Wahid son of Zahid. His whereabouts are unknown since then.
On 30 April, the forces stormed a wedding ceremony and whisked away three people and shifted them to an unknown location. They have been identified as Zia son of Noorullah, Inam son of Ishaq, and Majid son of Abdul Hameed.
