Balochistan: Women among 25 killed, 28 disappeared in September

In September, the Human Rights Council of Balochistan received a total number of 28 cases of enforced disappearances in Balochistan while 25 killings were reported during the month.

On Sept 04, Pakistani forces along with the personnel of intelligence agencies raided a house in Shafi Colony of Quetta, and whisked away Muneeb son of Noor Ali. Muneeb was a student of FSC in Quetta Degree College.

On Sept 06, the security forces abducted Aurangzaib son of Barkat from the border area of Abdui. He was a trader, transporting Iranian oil. His family has appealed for the safe and immediate release of Aurangzaib Baloch as his brother was also disappeared and kept under illegal custory for two months and then released in a critical condition.

On Sept 08, forces raided Nazar Mohammad’s house in district Kech, harrassed women and children and abducted his son, Gulab Baloch.

On 09 September, forces raided another house in district Kech and whisked away three residents, Ghulam son of Saleh Mohammad, Khalil sons of Rahim Bakhsh and Samad son of Rahim Bakhsh.

On the same day, personnel of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and the intelligence agencies detained Fakhruddin Qambrani from Quetta and shifted him to an undisclosed location.

On Sept 11, personnel of the intelligence agencies forcibly disappeared Mohammad Rafiq son of Ghulam Mohammad, a laborer and a resident of Chitkan, Panjgur. He was going to Quetta for the treatment of his kidneys when the security forces stopped him midway and the personnel of spy agencies took him away.

On 13 September, Salman Mengal, a student of Nushki Degree College, was abducted by intelligence operatives from Nushki.

On Sept 14, security forces and intelligence agencies raided a house in Karachi and abducted Yasir Baloch. His brother was also abducted, and due to the severe torture during the custody, he passed away soon after his release.

The same day, Babar son of Shaji Rehmat was taken away by the security forces from Gramkan area of district Panjgur.

On Sept 16, three persons, Khuda Dad, Faisal, and Basit, were forcibly disappeared by the paramilitary soldiers during a raid in Paroom area of district Panjgur.

Meanwhile, the security forces and the personnel of local death squads abducted another resident of Panjgur, Fahim son of Shaji Haleem.

On Sept 17, the personnel of Frontier Corps forcibly took away two brothers Hammal and Sanaullah from a passenger bus that was going to Quetta from Panjgur.

Separately, forces abducted Sawal Jan son of Arz Mohammad from Dez area of Paroom, district Panjgur. His brother was a victim of forced disappearances twice and released after two years of torture in the custody.

On the same day, Qadir Zehri, an engineer and a teacher, was whisked away by personnel of the Frontier Corps and intelligence agencies while he was travelling to Mungichar, Qalat, where he was working as a dam engineer. According to local sources, he was called to appear in the army camps in Khuzdar, and earlier that day, his school was raided.

On Sept 20, Irfan Zehri, a social worker from Khuzdar, was forcibly disappeared by personnel of the Frontier Corps from Quetta. 

On Sept 23, personnel of security forces and the CTD abducted Ustad Muneer Raees, a driver of a passenger van and a resident of Zehri, Khuzdar. He was abducted from a residential quarter, reserved for drivers in Burma Hotel.

Meanwhile, Nadeem Ibrahim, a resident of Buleda, district Kech, was arrested and then disappeared during a raid by security forces on his house.

On Sept 24, security forces forcibly disappeared Sarfraz son of Haji Ghulam from Salala Bazaar of Turbat, district Kech. He was a driver and a resident of the Dandar area of Kolwah.

On the same day, Qambar son of Peeri was whisked away by security forces from his residence in Hoshab, district Kech.

On Sept 27, two persons, Maghvi Noor Mohammad and Nasir, were abducted by plain-clothed intelligence agents from Nasir’s shop in Gwadar. Karim Bakhsh was cousin of Adam Qadir Bakhsh, a leader of National Party.

On Sept 28, personnel of intelligence agencies whisked away three persons from Mondi area of district Gwadar. One of them was identified as 22-year-old Sarfraz Asa, while the other two have not been identified yet.

On 30 September, Najeeb son of Abdul Haq, a photographer, was abducted by personnel of the intelligence agencies from his shop. He was a resident of Issa Sindsar area of district Panjgur.

Moreover, three abductees from the previous month have been identified as Kamalan and Azeem, abducted on 26 August from the army camp in Zamuran, district Kech, while Shabir son of Maula Baskhsh was Whisked away from Nokabad, Panjgoor, on 29 August.

 

Killed:

During September, 25 people were killed in different areas of Balochistan, including two women. 

On Sept 17,  an elderly woman was killed by the police in Kahnd area of district Khuzdar. The incident took place when the police raided the house and thrashed the ladies and the children of the house. As a result, an old lady could not bear the injuries and succumbed on the spot.

In another incident, on Sept 21, Taj Bibi was killed as a result of the FC’s indiscriminate firing in Askani Bazar, while her husband, Musa, was critically injured and rushed to the hospital. The incident occurred when the couple had gone to collect firewood and the personnel of FC started firing and shot her in head. This incident caused large scale anti-government protests in the province—demanding justice for Taj Bibi by bringing the perpetrators to justice.

Nine people were shot dead in targeted killings by unknown militants in various areas, while one person was killed by Baloch Liberation Army.

Moreover, six members of Baloch separatist groups were killed during a skirmish with the Frontier Corps

One person was killed in crossfire with the Levies forces in Hazar Ganji area of Naal, district Khuzdar.

Two dead bodies were found in district Chaghi and shifted to the hospital for identification, while three others were recovered from Mastung and were buried by a welfare association.

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.