In Balochistan’s Turbat, amidst escalating tensions, an armed rally took place on Saturday, featuring masked individuals driving unregistered Vigo vehicles and brandishing weapons.
Participants of the rally displayed Pakistani flags and voiced support for a similar state-sponsored camp in Islamabad, led by Jamal Raisani. This demonstration is reportedly in response to counter the movement against ‘Baloch genocide.’
The rally leader, identified by local residents as Dilawar, is purportedly a key figure in these alleged state-sponsored armed groups commonly referred to as ‘death squads.’ Locals contrasted the apparent state leniency towards this armed rally with the stringent actions against peaceful Baloch protesters, highlighting a concerning disparity in treatment.
Meanwhile, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), leading the movement against ‘Baloch Genocide,’ asserts that their protests aim to dismantle these alleged death squads. However, they claim that instead of addressing the root issues, the state is mobilizing these groups to intimidate supporters of their movement.
The presence of such ‘death squads’ in Balochistan has long been a contentious issue, with locals and Baloch nationalist circles accusing the Pakistani army and intelligence agencies of involvement. These groups are allegedly engaged in criminal activities including forced disappearances, murders of Baloch political activists, theft, robbery, kidnapping for ransom, and drug trafficking, reportedly operating with impunity under the state’s umbrella to counter the Baloch insurgency.
Most recently, The Balochistan Post conducted investigations into the leaders of the ‘state-sponsored counter-protest in Islamabad’ and found substantial evidence linking several individuals to the leadership or membership of these ‘death squads’ in Balochistan. Key figures identified include Fareed Raisani, Zahid M. Hasni, Khalid Yaqoob, and Zulfiqar M Hasni.
Despite the rising protests and outcry in Balochistan, these squads continue to function with state support, as demonstrated by recent events in Turbat and Islamabad.