Balochistan: Eleven abducted by military, gunmen, two released

Pakistan military and gunmen allegedly sponsored by the military have abducted eleven people in different parts of Balochistan since March 23.

On April 10, gunmen abducted Shah Jan son of Babu Abdul Samad from Chakarabad cricket ground in Washbod area of district Panjgur. Zeidullah son of Rahmat was kidnapped from the same area from his house on 8 April. Both are still missing.

Baloch nationalists and locals often accuse military of harboring and sponsoring “death squads” to counter a separatist nationalist insurgency in Balochistan. Gunmen believed to be associated with these death squads mostly operate in close vicinity with military camps and check-posts.

Although death squads are involved in a number of cases of enforced disappearances in Balochistan, paramilitary Frontier Corps force is responsible for most cases of enforced disappearances since 2004 and kill-and-dump since 2009.

FC soldiers raided a house in Singabad, Tijaban, district Kech, on April 17, 2018, and abducted Khatir Bakhtiyar.

On the same day, solders conducted an operation in Kashap area of Dasht, district Kech, in which they abducted Sanaullah Rahim.

On April 15, 2018, FC personnel laid siege to the Singabad village of Tijaban, district Kech, and abducted Char Shambe Mohammad Bakhsh, Dilshad Bohir, Saki Karim Bakhsh, Sabzal Miran and Gazzen Baiyan along with his 10 years old brother Shahi.

Gazzen Baiyan. Photo: Ashoob

Gazzen works in the United Arab Emirites (UAE) and had recently come to his hometown on vacation. His brother, Ramzan Baiyan, was abducted on September 27, 2016, on his wedding night along with over 50 others.

Separately, personnel of intelligence agencies abducted Isa Weidi, resident of Karki area of Kil Kaur, district Kech, from Sahaki-Kaur, Balgetar, district Kech.

On 23 March 2018, forces conducted a military operation in Soler area of Panjgur and abducted Jamdar Abdul Ghani.

9 years old Aftab Younis, who was abducted by Sindh Rangers on 28 October from Karachi, was released on 11 April and reached home.

Shahjan Mahmjan. Photo: Ashoob

Shahjan Mahmjan resident of Dasht district Kech was released on 23 April 2018. He was abducted during a military operation in Dasht area of district Kech in 2015.

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.