The family of Majeed Zehri, a member of the Baloch Students Organization (BSO) Azad, alleges that they have faced continuous persecution by state agencies in Balochistan, starting with Majeed Zehri’s death thirteen years ago.
Majeed Zehri was allegedly taken into custody by Pakistani forces on October 18, 2010, in the Omar Farooq Chowk area of Khuzdar district. Six days after this reported detention, a body with signs of torture was found on Rabia Road, which the family identified as Zehri’s. The following year, Majeed’s father, Haji Ramzan Zehri, was reportedly shot dead in the same district.
Over the years, the Zehri family alleges that they have been victims of recurrent purported state-sponsored atrocities. Their properties have been confiscated, and several family members faced enforced disappearances.
In 2021, Abdul Hameed Zehri, Majeed’s brother-in-law, disappeared. Furthermore, Rashid Hussain, Majeed’s cousin, was detained in the UAE and later extradited to Pakistan, his current status unknown. Abdul Hafeez, his elder brother, underwent a similar ordeal but resurfaced in Pakistan after several months.
On the recent anniversary of Majeed Zehri’s death, Fatima Hameed Zehri, his sister, took to social media platform X to share her sentiments. She recalled the tragic loss of her then 16-year-old brother and criticized the alleged brutal actions of Pakistani state institutions. “Thirteen years have passed since my brother’s martyrdom, yet he remains alive in our hearts,” she wrote on X in memory of her brother.
Farida Baloch, the sister of the missing Baloch political activist Rashid Hussain, reiterated these sentiments, emphasizing the ongoing difficulties and loss of family members. She wrote, “Thirteen years ago, we received young Majeed’s body. Since then, our family has been subjected to relentless oppression. State agencies, with the assistance of local death squads, have raided our homes, killed our elders, and many of our loved ones remain missing.”