Balochistan: The State of Human Rights. Bi-Annual Report 2019

371 disappeared, 158 killed in 6 districts of Balochistan, during six months.

Balochistan, the southwestern restive province of Pakistan shows a chaotic picture of a war zone. Although it is a black hole for media, reporting is prohibited, most of the region is disconnected from all internet communications, some groups have succeeded to collect information publish in different online pages and social media.

The region is under military’s control and is a battlefield between security forces and armed groups, including hard line nationalists. Clashes between security forces and the armed groups are reported every day. Excessive use of force has further escalated the clashes.

Construction of Gwadar deep sea port and road links from Gwadar to Kashghar, China, has created an ethnic cleansing like situation from Gwadar to Awaran and Khuzdar districts of Balochistan. Villages fall on the proposed route of so-called China Pakistan Economic Corridor are burnt to ashes and people forcefully dislocated.

Thousands have gone missing in Balochistan since early 2000’s. Hundreds of disappeared persons are found dead on roadsides.

Human Rights Council of Balochistan and Baloch Human Rights Organization could confirm partial reports from six out of thirty-two districts of Balochistan that show 371 persons were abducted and forcibly disappeared by military and 158 persons killed. While the government of Pakistan does not seem to take the issue serious. It is generally believed that the military of Pakistan is beyond any accountability and control of any civilian institution including parliament and judiciary.

Families of missing persons are exhausted with the protests and visits to the courts with no results. Dozens of women and children are on a sit-in protest in front of Quetta press club, in the capital city of the province. The protest camp started in 2009 and is still continued. Many children grew up to adulthood in the protest in search of their fathers and other relatives.

Millions of people are suffering from the conflict and it is need of the time that human rights groups raise the issues with international bodies. Issue of missing persons, extra judicial killings must be investigated and humanitarian aid be provided to the hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the war.

Attached below is month-to-month report of human rights situation of Balochistan for the last six months.

January-2019:

Baloch Human Rights Organization (BHRO) and Human Rights Council of Balochistan (HRCB or Hakkpaan in Balochi) have received and researched partial details of 77 cases of enforced disappearances and 18 cases of extra judicial killings during the month of January 2019. 70 previously missing persons were released due to the pressure built up by the families of missing persons’ sit-in hunger strike in front of the Quetta press club for more than a decade.

According to the details security forces forcibly disappeared 77 persons from Awaran, Kech, Khuzdar Panjgur, Gwadar and Sibi districts of Balochistan. Whereas the rest 26 districts of Balochistan still remain inaccessible due to the media blockade introduced by authorities in Balochistan to suppress the voices raised against the violations committed by the forces.

On the other hand, ten decomposed beyond recognition bodies were brought by Edhi foundation to Teramil Graveyard, Dasht for burial on 08th January 2019. The bodies were buried without DNA analysis. The burial of the bodies without DNA analysis have caused anguish to the families of victims of enforced disappearances who have been sitting on a hunger strike in front of Quetta Press Club.

The victims of enforced disappearances include Muhammad Azeem s/o Phullan resident of Gubord, Mand district Kech. According to the locals Muhammad Azeem is a farmer and was working on the fields when security forces raided and abducted him on the evening of 02nd January 2019.

On 01 January 2019, Mohammad Ali s/o Abdo was whisked away by security forces from a military check post in Tirtej, Awaran. Family members say, Mohammad Ali was travelling back from Karachi in his truck along with a driver and a conductor. They were held in the check post and after a few hours both the driver and the conductor were released whereas the whereabouts of Mohammad Ali still remain unknown.

Rashid s/o Abdul Rasool was forcibly disappeared by the forces during a raid at his house at around 1:00 am. According to his extended family, Rashid was working as a labor in Middle East and was recently back home on holidays when he was abducted from Mondi area of Gwadar.

On 19th January 2019, personnel of Frontier Corps (a paramilitary force) accompanied by personnel in civil dress, raided the house of Abdul Rasool and abducted his 17 years old son Jaffar.

On 27 January 2019, forces conducted a search operation in Dasht Sadi, a village near Pakistan-Iran border, district Gwadar and forcibly disappeared Ghani s/o Abbas. Women and children were beaten up.

On 28 January 2019, Salman s/o Dad Rehman and Malik s/o Mohammad were abducted from Nizarabad, Tump district Kech. Salman was abducted from his own shop which is locally famous as Salman’s shop whereas Malik s/o Mohammad was abducted during the exams from the examination hall.

On 31 January 2019, security forces conducted a military operation in Gwarkop area of district Kech. Eight persons were abducted, including four of the same family.  Abductees are Solo s/o Babu, Rasheed s/o Kamalan, Qamber s/o Yousuf, Muneer s/o Wali Mohammad, all from same family, Hasil and Musa Wahag are two brothers while Basheer and Sabzal Qadir Bakhsh are brothers.

70 persons were released from the custody of security institutions during the month, many of them were missing for years and some for months.

Eighteen persons were killed during the month of January, eight of them died from firing of unknown persons in Kech, Panjgur, Sibi and Quetta districts of Balochistan.

On 03 January 2019, a dead body was found dumped in Hub Chowki, district Lasbela. The deceased was later identified as Elahi Bakhsh Pir Jan resident of Dulechi Jhao district Awaran. Elahi Bakhsh was abducted by Pakistani security forces from Jhao, district Awaran on 07 May 2016. His whereabouts remained unknown till his body was found dumped in Hub, Balochistan.

On 7th January, a mutilated dead body was found in a sack on the eastern bypass in Quetta, the capital city of Balochistan. The dead body was later shifted to a hospital for identification. Later the deceased was identified as Shokat Ali s/o Saleh Mohammad, a resident of Musa Colony, Quetta whereas his hometown was Kardagap, Mastung. According to local sources he was a student in Degree College and was also working as a dispenser in Yaseen Hospital Quetta. He went missing on 06 January after leaving the house.

On 9 January, another body was found in Saryab Mill Colony, Quetta. The body was shifted by Edhi foundation to the hospital where he was identified as Mohammad Arif s/o Lateef Mastoi. According the doctors he was died from a gunshot.

On 11 January, a dead body was found in Sangsela area of Dera Bugti. Levies accompanied by personnel of Frontier Corps shifted the body to the local hospital where he was identified as Shehan Bugti.

Phulan waju was killed and claimed by Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) in Awaran on 19th January 2019. Spokesperson of BLF claimed the responsibility and stated that Phulllan was an informer of the military.

February-2019:

Baloch Human Rights Organization and Human Rights Council of Balochistan have received and confirmed details of 46 cases of enforced disappearances. 17 cases of killing were also reported during the month of February 2019. A total of 36 persons were released during the month as well. Some of them were disappeared for 2 – 3 years.

Families of the victims of enforced disappearance are still on hunger strike in front of the Quetta press club for the safe release of their loved ones though some victims were released after constant pressure on the authorities but still a large number of civilians remain missing,

According to details security forces abducted 46 persons from Awaran, Chaghi, Dera Bugti, Kech, Khuzdar and Gwadar districts of Balochistan whereas rest of the 26 districts remained still inaccessible due to the media blockade and systematic anti-prosperity policies introduced by authorities to further suppress the voices raised against the grim human rights situation in Balochistan.

The victims of enforced disappearances include Dad Allah Ameen and Nawaz Dostain abducted along with Ahmed Yar Mohammad and Shaho Ameen from Talamb area of Mand district Kech on 1st February 2019. Locals say: “When forces raided, women and children were also beaten up and they forcefully disappeared Dad Allah, Nawaz, Ahmed and Shaho”. Ahmed and Shaho were released on the following day whereas the whereabouts of Dad Allah Ameen and Nawaz Dostain remain unknown.

On the same day Ishaq Ibrahim and Raheem Dad Umethaan were abducted from Jathani Bazar, Dasht district Kech and Maqbool Ahmed s/o Lal Mohammad, a 16 year old minor and a resident of Kharan, Balochistan, was forcefully disappeared from Dalbandin district Chaghi.

On 6th February, forces arrested a student of engineering in Balochistan University of Engineering and Technology from his hometown of Dera Bugti. Mohammad Ali Bugti was arrested by forces from Gol Chowk in Dera Bugti. It is the second time he is being forcefully disappeared by forces. He was first abducted from Quetta, the capital city of Balochistan on 14th December 2018 and was released after two days of incommunicado detention.

Mohammad Ali Bugti s/o Mubarak Bugti, an engineering student abducted by forces on February 6, 2019 from Dera Bugti

On 13th February, a young student Naseem Dilmurad was forcefully abducted by security forces from Apsar area of Turbat, Balochistan. Naseem is a resident of Bolor, Kolwa district Awaran. General secretary of BHRO Abdullah Abbas Baluch tweeted on the matter and further said “Despite promises of Balochistan government to release enforced disappeared persons, forces are continuously abducting innocent civilians”. Naseem’s whereabouts are still unknown.

Naseem Dil Murad, resident of Balor Kolwa, abducted during a raid from Absar Turbat

On 15th February, Shah Bakhsh Noor Bakhsh and Dad Shah Ishaq were abducted by security forces during a raid on Jalagi, Zamuran district Kech.

On 16th February, Sattar Dilwash and Shabbir Gul Mohammad were abducted during a house to house search operation in Goburd, Mand district Kech. Shabir was released later while whereabouts of Sattar are still unknown.

Pakistani security forces conducted a military operation on Sorger area of Jahoo district Awaran. During the military operation two confirmed cases of involuntary abduction were documented by HRCB and BHRO. The abductees were identified as Sohrab Huzoor Bakhsh and Fateh Mohammad Huzoor Bakhsh.

36 persons were released from the custody of security forces during the month of February 2019. Many of the released persons were missing for years, some for months whereas some were abducted in the same month and then got released.

Thirteen persons were killed during the month of February. A total of 3 persons were killed in different incidents of firing. Seven dead bodies were found dumped in different areas of Balochistan whereas two unknown persons were killed in a bomb blast in Dera Murad Jamali and a civilian died in a mine explosion in Dera Bugti, Balochistan.

On 1st February, Asif s/o Shapuk was targeted when a car full of armed men opened fire and killed him. The perpetrators later escaped from the crime scene.

On the same day another incident was documented in Sabzal Bugti Goth district Sohbatpur where a civilian Mehrullah Bugti was targeted and killed by unknown gunmen.

According to the reports, Idrees Qamabrani Mohammad Ayoub was abducted by unknown persons and a few days later on 4th February his bullet riddled body was found dumped in Killi Zarozi district Kharan. The body was shifted to a hospital and after identification his body was handed over to the family.

On 5th February, another dead-body was found dumped in Zehri district Khuzdar. The body was shifted to a hospital and later handed over to the family. The deceased was identified as Niaz Shahwani.

On 12th February, a mutilated dead-body was found in Saeedabad, Ormara district Gwadar. According to the locals, Talaho Jumma disappeared 6 months ago and despite efforts to find him his whereabouts remained unknown till his dead body was found.

Sarfaraz Umer, an engineering student went disappeared on February 13. Photo: BHRO

On 21st February Pakistani security forces abducted Gwahram Basham, Muhammad and Siraj from Heronk district Kech. Later, on 23rd February forces brought Gwahram Basham’s tortured dead body to the hospital and was buried without informing the family and against their will whereas whereabouts of Mohammad and Siraj still remain unknown.

Gwahram Basham

Sher Jan s/o Mohammad Bakhsh was abducted by unknown personnel with his motorbike in Dat, Ornach district Khuzdar on 23rd February. After two days his dead-body was found dumped near a roadside with his motorbike. The perpetrators remain unknown so far.

March-2019:

Sixty persons were forcibly disappeared by security forces from Awaran, Chagai, Kech, Khuzdar, Lasbela, Panjgur and Washuk districts of Balochistan, fifteen persons were shot dead while seventeen unidentified bodies were recovered during the month of March 2019, whereas twenty-seven districts of Balochistan still remain inaccessible due to the forced media blackout introduced by the government.

Abduction and enforced disappearance of women and children continued in the same pace, which started in 2017 as a pattern in Balochistan and dozens of family members of political workers are whisked away by military from their houses and kept in incommunicado for weeks and sometimes for months before they are shifted in illegal detention centers run by death squads, supervised and sponsored by military. These cases came into light when a five-month pregnant lady, Naz Gul died in one of the illegal detention centers due to denial of medical assistance in pregnancy-related complications, in April 2018.

On 23 March 2019, forces picked up two more women, Bibi Noori and Jan Bibi from their houses in Gajjali village of Mashkey, district Awaran. Their whereabouts are still unknown.

A well-known Balochi writer and author of five books including three novels, Nazar Mohammad was abducted by security forces on 5 March, 2019. He is a serving sergeant in the Royal Oman Army, in Sultanate of Oman. He was on his vacations and reached Turbat on 26 January, 2019, to spend his vacations with his family and friends and was supposed to resume duty on 20 March. Since then his whereabouts are kept unknown.

Nazar Mohammad

A reporter, Niamatullah Baloch was whisked away by security forces in Taftan region of Balochistan on 6 March.

Niamatullah Baloch, a journalst whisked away by security forces in Taftan region on 6 March. Photo: TBP

Niamatullah Baloch, a journalst whisked away by security forces in Taftan region on 6 March. Photo: TBP

A police trainee, Shakoor Babu was abducted when he was on his way to the police academy in Turbat, Balochistan, the district headquarter of district Kech, on 3rd March. Shakoor is a local of Nodiz, district Kech.

Shakoor Babu, a police trainee abducted by the forces on 3 March. Photo: TBP

Shakoor Babu, a police trainee abducted by the forces on 3 March. Photo: TBP

In another case, two brothers, Nasim Nazeer and Shay Murid Nazeer were abducted during a raid on a house in Karachi on 1st March 2019. Abductees are residents of Nizarabad, district Kech.

A father and his son were forcibly disappeared during a military operation in Dannuk, Turbat on 4th March. Earlier, he migrated from Dasht to Turbat to save his family from continuous and indiscriminate military operations in the area.

Fazul Mohammad, Zahur Siddique and Ghulam Nabi Mola Bakhsh were abducted on 5 March by security forces from Shangar, district Washuk.

Shay Dinar was abducted during a raid in Gwarkop district Kech on 12 March.

Unknown gunmen abducted Munir Ahmed Bazid from Lasbela University on 14 March. Eye-witnesses say he was severely beaten up during the abduction. The reason behind abduction and whereabouts of Munir are still unknown.

Noor Ahmed Niaz was forcibly disappeared by security forces from Shehani Bazar, Turbat on 16 March. According to his family, he was picked up by security forces from a local shop and since then his whereabouts are unknown.

On 17 March, forces conducted a house-to-house search operation in Sholi and Parant villages of Dasht, district Kech and abducted 6 persons. The abductees were later identified as Faqir Ahmed Khuda Dad, Tariq Shafi Mohammad, Rafiq Lal Bakhsh, Rahim Bakhsh Lal Bakhsh, Umetan Rahim Bakhsh and Salim Abdul Rahim.

On the same day, Sharif Fazal was abducted from Pirandar village of district Awaran while four persons, Akbar Khuda Bakhsh, Islam Khuda Bakhsh, Abdul Wahab and Abdul Khalid were whisked away from Sirkezeh village of Zamuran, district Kech.

A retired soldier of the Royal Oman Army, Neksal Miran, was abducted along with Gulab Karim Bakhsh and Zahur Soban during a military raid in Tash, Balgatar, district Panjgur on 19 March.

Thirteen mutilated bodies were found in different areas of Balochistan during the month of March in which 8 dead bodies were later identified whereas, 7 bodies were decomposed to the extent of beyond recognition. Moreover, seven persons were killed in target killing including a polio worker. 

On 1st March, Murid Bezanjo was killed by unknown militants in Ornach, Khuzdar. Later on, Balochistan Liberation Front, in a statement, took the responsibility of the attack and claimed that he has collaborated with army in several military operations and facilitates attacks on our camps.

On 4 March, a dead body was found dumped in Mian Ghundi area of Quetta. The deceased was later identified as Nasib Ullah Khelji s/o Malang Khan. According to the family members, he was abducted two weeks ago from Gahi Khan Chowk, Quetta. Both, the reason and the perpetrators remain unknown.

Tortured dead body of an 8-year-old child was found dumped in Pashin. According to the police, the deceased body bore clear marks of torture and his body was dumped in a sewerage line on 6 March.

Another decomposed body was found in Satellite Town, Quetta on 6 March. The deceased was later identified as Sanaullah Dur Mohammad. The reason and the perpetrators remain unknown.

On 8 March, an unidentified body was found dumped in Kanak, Mastung. The dead body was later shifted to the hospital and still remain unidentified. Another unidentified decomposed body was found from Dera Murad Jamali on 14 March.

On 16 March, two decomposed dead bodies were found dumped in Quetta and Zhob. On the same day, a polio worker was shot killed by unknown gunmen in Pashin. According to the locals, the killers came in a Toyota Veto car and opened fired on the polio worker and escaped from the scene.  

On 22 March, another unidentified dead body was found dumped in Ghousabad area of Quetta, the capital city of Balochistan.

On 23 March, three mutilated dead bodies were found dumped in Dera Ismail Khan, a Baloch majority region in Punjab province of Pakistan. Bodies were identified with their identity cards, kept in their pockets. It has once been a norm that the dead bodies beyond recognition would have his NIC or his name written on a small piece of paper, in his pocket.

April-2019:

In the month of April, fifty-nine persons were forcibly disappeared by security forces from Awaran, Kech, Gwadar, Lasbela, Panjgur districts of Balochistan. Forty people were killed in April including victims of Hazar Ganji bomb blast which left twenty dead and 48 wounded.

Majority of the districts in Balochistan remained inaccessible.

Abduction and enforced disappearance of women and children continued in the same pace. On 30 April, security forces raided Shehaq Bugti’s house in Rabi, Naseerabad and abducted five women and 4 children. The victims were later identified as Dhando Ratta Bugti, Shozan Shehak Bugti, Bujari Bibi Shehak, Pati Karim Bugti, Jamil Karim, 6 years old Batte Khan Shehak Bugti, Zargul Shehak, 3 years old Amina Bibi Shehak and Noor Banuk Shehak.

On 1st April, security forces raided several houses in Tijaban, Singabad district Kech and abducted nine civilians. Abductees were identified as, Musa Bujer, Rafiq Ahmed, Trongal Zabad, Amir Bakhsh Zabad, Wahag Musa, Gulab Musa, Patan Musa, Bahot Mia and Faiz Mohammad Nawab. Rest of the abductees were later released by the forces, except Rafiq Ahmed and Ameer Bakhsh Zabad. Their fates and whereabouts remain unknown to this day.

On 5 April, security forces started a house-to-house search operation in Kohad area of district Kech and abducted seven persons, Haibthan Abdi, Niaz Qadir Dad, Rashid Dilmurad, Mehran Rasool Bakhsh, Izzat Khursheed, Hameed Shahdad and Siddique.

In another incident on 06 April, a fourteen years old boy, Samir Nasrullah Notezai was abducted by unknown armed persons, driving a Vigo car, from Faisal Colony, Dalbandin. On the other hand, Pakistani security forces and personnel of intelligence agency whisked away Asfandyar s/o Abdul Karim from Nushki, Balochistan on the same day.

On 18 April, security forces raided the house of Dilmurad Dur Mohammad in Rais Goth, Karachi and forcibly disappeared his three sons, Hanif, Hafiz and Hamid. On the same night 4 forces raided the house of Mohammad Ayoub in Hub Chowki and whisked away his sons, Parvez Jumma, Zakir, Altaf and Bahadur. Their whereabouts are still unknown. All of the abductees are residents of Awaran, Balochistan and migrated from Awaran few years ago because of the ongoing military offences in the area.

From L to R: Haneef Murad, Hameed Murad, Hafeez Murad. Photo: BHRO

On 25 April, forces abducted seven civilians from Tank area of Mashkay district Awaran during a military operation. The victims were identified as Bahram Ali Jan, Gulab Mohammad Omar, Naseer Khan Mohammad, Musharraf Naseer, Khan Bagi, Gulab Sohrab and Rustom.

From L to R: Altaf Ayub, Pervaiz Jumma, Bahar Ayub, Imdad Hashim. Photo: BHRO

Five mutilated bodies were found in different areas of Balochistan during the month of April. two women were killed in honor killing, twelve persons were killed in target killing and encounter between armed forces and separatist groups, one case of extra-judicial killing.

20 civilians lost their lives in a bomb attack on Hazara community in Quetta, Balochistan on April 12. ISIS claimed responsibility of the bomb attack.

On April 25, Hazoor Jatt’s bullet riddled body was found dumped. He was arrested by security forces on April 22 from Notal, district Naseerabad.

Abductions, extra judicial killings have been going on in Balochistan since early 2000’s, when the central government started to suppress the voice of indigenous people of Balochistan on rights on their land and resources. Thousands have gone missing since then, hundreds of missing persons were found dead later.

May-2019:

In a completely under-the-blanket operations, the mighty military of Pakistan has militarized entire Balochistan, its northwestern, most mineral-rich but least developed region with lowest human development. Military suppressed the rights movements that blame the military and the central government for their backwardness.

Military pushed the indigenous population to walls and many armed groups developed, which claim to fight for independence of the region. Government used Frontier Corps, a paramilitary force, to eliminate the nationalists. Gradually the region became a battlefield between the two conflict parties.

Balochistan seemed a war-zone during the month of May 2019 as well. We have received hundreds of reports of human rights violations, from six out of thirty-two districts. Human Rights Council of Balochistan and Baloch Human Rights Organization investigated and thus announce this monthly report.

Seventy persons were picked up by military and forcibly disappeared. Eight of them were released later, while whereabouts of 62 civilians remain unknown.

Maqbool Yar Mohammad was abducted by personnel of Intelligence agencies from his house in Hub town of district Lasbela on 3 May. His family abandoned their native village, Mashkay Awaran, due to consistent military offences and was living a life of IDPs in Lasbela, the home district of Chief Minister of Balochistan, under the Imran Khan’s new central government.

Maqbool Yar Mohammad. Photo: BHRO

On 5 May, forces whisked away 17 years old Hammal Assa from his hometown Gomazi Tump, district Kech, the home district of previous Chief Minister of Balochistan, under Nawaz Sharif government.

Of the same village, Gomazi, fifteen years old Talal Dost Mohammad was picked up by military from a local transport vehicle, when he was traveling from Karachi to his home, on the same day. Both are cousins.

Salman Khudadad was picked up by military and forcibly disappeared from Mand Bullo, Kech on 7 May, from a local grocery, in front of the public.

On 11 May, security forces whisked away four persons, Murad Samad, Abid Khalid, Syed Abul Hassan and Waju Wahid, during a house-to-house search operation in Neyabad, Gwadar. Forces are accused of beating women and children during the operation.

On 12 May, Noor Khan Kahur, a fresh graduate from Balochistan University Quetta, was whisked away by the forces at around 3 AM local time from Essa Nagri, Quetta. He was a resident of Shapuk, district Kech and was on a search for job in Quetta, the administrative capital of Balochistan.

Noor Khan Kahoor. Photo: Ashoob News

On May 14, forces whisked away two students from Defense View Karachi. They are identified as Naseem Khair Mohammad and Aftab Khair Mohammad.

Naseem Mohammad Karim is a resident of Gwadar and final year student of LLB in Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto University whereas, Aftab is resident of Shafi Goth Karachi.

Two students of the same region, Mekran, were whisked away by military from Brewery Road of capital city, Quetta. Security forces took Ashraf Neksal and Gulab Rozi from Mashallah Plaza, in front of dozens of people, on 15 May. Both were sent by their families from interior, war-turned regions to the capital city for safer and better education.

Military has abducted and disappeared more than a hundred students of Balochistan, from other cities of Pakistan, including Nawaz Atta, a human rights activist, Information Secretary of BHRO.

Rahmdil Pir Bakhsh of Hoshab Balochistan, a graduate in Philosophy was abducted by security forces in Karachi, administrative capital of Sindh. He was working with KASBIT University Karachi after completing his graduation.

Rahmdil Pir Bakhsh. Photo: BHRO

The next day his cousin Nasir Azim was whisked away by security forces from the same house in Gulshan-e-Iqbal. Nasir is a resident of Absar, Turbat and a student of M. Phil in Karachi University.

Nasir Azeem. Photo: BHRO

On 20 May, forces raided house of Allah Bakhsh in Gwadar, Balochistan and dragged him away from the house. Three days later, the house was raided again and military took away his wife, Ayesha and two daughters, Mahtap and 16 years old Nazelah. Mother and daughters were released later while whereabouts of Allah Bakhsh remained unknown.

Forces raided house of Fateh Muhammad, father of Hammal Fateh, one of four suicide attackers who attacked the only five-star hotel in Gwadar, the home town of Chinese invested Gwadar Deep Sea Port. Four gunmen stormed into the Pearl Continental hotel and it took military 24 hours to clear the hotel. The attack was carried out by an armed nationalist group that often attacks Chinese interests in the region. Organization threatened China to take his hands off the region.

Fateh Muhammad and Nasrat, a cousin of Hammal were whisked away by the military and their whereabouts are still unknown.

Fourteen years old Kachkol, brother of another suicide attacker of PC hotel, was picked by military from his house in Hoshab, Kech on 25 May.

On same day, forces abducted Hafiz Pir Muhammad from Naimabad Parom, district Panjgur and forcibly disappeared. Hafiz was once disappeared in 2015 but released later.

Forces raided house of Mujib Rasool Bakhsh in the same area of Parom, district Panjgur on 26 May and took him away. His fate and whereabouts are still unknown.

Decomposed bodies of five persons were found dumped. All were beyond recognition.

“We have found and buried 131 decomposed bodies in this graveyard. We have three of such kind. We’ll just put a number on the grave”, said a person working for Edhi Foundation. “Hardly 5% of the persons would be identified by any means”, he said in a BBC Urdu report.

Twenty armed nationalists were killed in different battles between the nationalists and military in different parts of Balochistan and five persons were targeted killed by unknown gunmen. Nationalists often blame the military of using private militias and street criminals to kill people.

One child was killed when an armed nationalist group fired to kill one of organization’s surrendered commander, in Kech. Spokesperson of Balochistan Liberation Front said in a press note that his organization apologizes for the child and is ready for any cooperation family asks.

BLF is one of the many organizations fighting the military and want Pakistan to leave Balochistan. Organization has been known for its educated and democratic leadership and has been enjoying support of most of educated youths since its early appearance in 2004.

Silence over Balochistan has shaped military’s attitude towards any rights movement all over Pakistan.

Military repeated same in Waziristan, KPK region on 26 May 2019. It attacked a peaceful rally, killing more than a dozen and wounding more than forty-five. Rally was organized by Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement, a rights group developed in Pakistan’s KPK region. Leadership of the group- legislators the local people elected- were said to be the aim of the attack. One of the legilators, Ali Wazir went missing for a few days, after military arrested him from the attacked protest, while the other, Mohsin Dawar was declared a wanted man. He finally surrendered himself to a court of law.

PTM leadership face the same hard time with military leaders in Balochistan faced. Pashtoon leaders are lucky enough to resurface, being in jail, while the leadership in Balochistan was disappeared, killed and thrown on roadsides, or shot killed. 

Military, it seems, wishes to control the minds of each individual and does not allow any space for the voices of people.

June-2019:

Reappearance and disappearance continued in Balochistan. Thirty-three previously forcibly disappeared persons have reappeared in the month of June 2019. But then again, on the other hand, the disappearances continued with more irrationality, as per the reports BHRO and HRCB have received.

Protest against “Enforced Disappearances in Pakistan” was attacked in UK in June 2019, while Senate of Pakistan ignored a report on missing persons in a session, which is a matter of concern for human rights activists.

Fifty-nine people were enforced disappeared and twenty-one killed during this month. Since the reports we received are from Awaran, Kech, Gwadar, Panjgur, Khuzdar and Dera Bugti districts of Balochistan, the rest of the 26 districts remained inaccessible.

Bashir Sipa: On June 3, 2019, security forces raided a house in New Town Gwadar and forcibly disappeared Bashir Sipa. He is resident of Kuldan Dasht, district Kech.

Bashir Sipa. Courtesy: Ashoob News

Abbas Rafiq and Shahzaib Jan Mohammad: On June 2 the forces whisked away two persons, Abbas Rafiq and Shahzaib Jan Mohammad, from Shahrak area of district Kech in separate raids. Abbas is a disabled person and is paralyzed from the waist down. Shahzaib is a final year medical student of Bolan Medical College Quetta and was in his hometown for Eid holidays.

Abbas Rafiq. Photo Ashoob news
Shahzaib Jan Mohammad. Photo Ashoob news

Najib Noor, Rizwan Rahi, Adil Baloch, Naim Deedag and Bilal Baloch: On June 8, forces whisked away and disappeared 5 students from a house in Gwadar city. They are identified as Najib Noor, Rizwan Rahi, Adil Baloch, Naim Deedag and Bilal Baloch. Bilal Baloch and Rizwan Rahi were later released whereas the whereabouts of the others are still unknown.

Naim Deedag. Photo: Ashoob News

Yasin Basham: Yasin Basham was abducted by unknown gunmen from University roundabout in Bhawalpur Punjab. He is a student of Bio-Chemistry in Bhawalpur University and resident of Turbat, district Kech.

Yaseen Basham. Photo: Ashoob News

Bashir Ahmed: Bashir Ahmed s/o Faqir Mohammad is a resident of Nokjo Mashkay, district Awaran and a Mason by profession. According to details local death squad members invited him to build a house. He went to Gajjali for work and didn’t return the same day. Next day on June 27, his dead body was brought to the local hospital. According to hospital sources, his body bore signs of severe torture.

Bashir Ahmed. Photo: Ashoob News

It is nearly impossible for anyone to raise their voice against the enforced disappearances in Balochistan and other human rights violations perpetrated by the army due to the risk of immense persecution faced by those who speak against army impunity. But in an unusual incident occurring in June 2019, a campaign against enforced disappearance prevalent in Pakistan, held in London, was attacked as well.

A mob, on 23 June, of ostensibly Pakistani civilians attacked a protest campaign outside the United Kingdom’s Lord Cricket Stadium where Pakistan’s national cricket team was playing against South Africa. The mob attacked Balochistan exiled activists and tore down all the banners and play cards which read “Help End Enforced Disappearances in Pakistan”.

Attackers included a couple of persons who were previously accompanying the Pakistan army chief, General Bajwa, and the DGISPR Asif Ghafoor, as shown in the video footages circulating in the social media.

Farhatullah Babar, a senator and well-known human rights activist disclosed in a tweet that the Chairman of Commission on Enforced disappearances has proved that the security forces are involved in the practice of enforced disappearances. He said: “Chairman Commission on Enforced Disappearances recently admitted before a Senate committee of identifying 153 security persons involved in it. He should now tell whether and what action taken against them…”. Despite such a huge disclosure from a sitting senator, the subject got much attention neither in parliament nor in national media of Pakistan.

This dire situation of human rights is pushing the people of Balochistan to the wall with every passing day. Hundreds of thousands of people are displaced due to continuous military operations and the resultant environment of fear. These internally displaced refugees are living without shelter in harsh weather of Balochistan often without food and drinking water. Many others have fled to Afghanistan and Iran living a similar miserable life. No humanitarian organization has so far initiated any aid or listing of these displaced war-effected people.

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.