Four individuals have reportedly been killed in two separate operations by Pakistan’s Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) in the districts of Kuzdar and Jaffarabad, Balochistan. However, concerns over the legitimacy of these encounters have been raised, echoing past allegations against CTD’s operations in the region.
In the Khatan area of Kuzdar, the CTD claims that two assailants, identified as Ameer Bakhsh and Ejaz Ahmed, were killed during an encounter. Weapons, including Kalashnikovs and hand grenades, were reportedly recovered from the scene.
However, contradictory reports have emerged regarding Ejaz Ahmed’s involvement, as he had reportedly been abducted by Pakistani forces on August 23rd from Manguchar and had been missing since. Ejaz’s brother, Saeed Ahmed, filed a report detailing his brother’s disappearance, asserting that this was not the first instance of Ejaz being forcibly disappeared.
The Balochistan Post had also reported the news of Ejaz Ahmed’s enforced disappearance on August 25.
Meanwhile, in a separate operation in Jafferabad, the CTD claims that two suspected members of an armed group were killed during an exchange of fire. Weapons and ammunition were allegedly recovered from the scene.
Nevertheless, there is growing skepticism surrounding the veracity of these CTD encounters. Several past operations conducted by the department have faced scrutiny, with independent sources and media suggesting that some encounters might have been staged. A pattern has emerged wherein individuals previously listed as missing are later reported as killed in such operations. The reliability of these CTD operations has therefore come under question.