A Baloch journalist and two politicians’ houses have been attacked by a group allegedly backed by the state.
According to details, family homes of a Baloch journalist and two politicians have been attacked by unknown armed people in Bonistan area of Panjgur on Friday.
Safar Khan Baloch, a journalist affiliated with BNM’s media outlet Zrumbish, confirmed that the attackers entered his house and threatened the family members.
In a tweet he said: “members of state backed death squad raided my home in Panjgur this morning and tortured women and children. They threatened to kill my family members if I do not surrender. Such cruel and cowardly acts cannot stop my activism for an independent Balochistan.”
The other two houses belonged to BNM’s Ayub Asrar and Raheem Dad.
The armed group forcefully entered the houses and mistreated women and children, the family members have alleged.
“The armed people also fired shots and threated to kill family members, however, timely intervention by neighbours foiled the attempt,” they said.
They claimed the attackers belonged to Shakeel alias Shako’s group who has formed a “death squad at the behest of the state”.
In Balochistan, armed groups known locally as death squads, are active in various areas. Baloch political and social circles claim that these groups are backed by the Pakistani army and intelligence agencies. They say that these groups are given full impunity by the state to counter the Baloch insurgency and, therefore, are involved in heinous crimes.
Baloch National Movement, a political party in Balochistan, condemned today’s incident. The party’s representative said in a media statement that the natives of Balochistan are victims of collective punishment, and Baloch pro-independence activists and true journalists are targeted on daily basis. “Today’s incident in Bonistan was a continuity of the same practice so that Baloch activists are deterred from playing a part in Baloch independence movement. However, the enemy should know that these attacks are only increasing the hatred against them,” the statement read.