Paank’s human rights report for November 2023 has highlighted a significant escalation in human rights violations in Balochistan, with cases of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances.
According to the report, 13 individuals, previously reported as forcibly disappeared, were extrajudicially killed in the past month. In addition, 62 new cases of enforced disappearances were documented, along with the release of 22 individuals from detention.
The incidents of enforced disappearances and releases spanned across various districts of Balochistan and Sindh, including Quetta, Kech, and Awaran, with some cases reported from Sindh. The report provided a detailed breakdown of these incidents, illustrating a widespread pattern of human rights abuses.
In the Awaran district, two individuals were reportedly killed in their homes. The report also accused the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of killing three individuals in custody during a supposed ‘fake encounter’ in Khuzdar and being responsible for seven extrajudicial killings in custody in Kech.
A particularly harrowing incident on November 19, 2023, in Balgatar, Kech, involved the forced disappearance and subsequent killing of three family members—Shah Jahan, Nabi Daad, and Adil. They were placed in a vehicle and then killed by detonating the vehicle. The report implicated the Pakistani army, CTD, and an alleged local army agent, Khalid Yaqoob, in this act.
On November 28, 2023, in Turbat, Kech, the bodies of Saifullah, Shakoor, Abdul Wadood, and Balaach, who had all previously disappeared, were delivered to a hospital by the police. This incident led to intense protests, particularly from Balaach’s family, who condemned it as a grave case of extrajudicial custody killing. The report criticized the CTD’s increasing involvement in ‘fake encounters’ and misuse of power, calling for its immediate disarmament.
The report also highlighted the challenges faced by students in Balochistan, including discrimination and enforced disappearances. An example cited was the case of Sameer Baloch, a student who was arrested and forcibly disappeared during a protest at Lasbela University on November 17, 2023.
Paank’s report concluded with an urgent call for international attention to these grave human rights violations in Balochistan, emphasizing the immediate intervention to protect the lives and rights of the people in the region.