A young man, Israr, who was reportedly shot and injured by Pakistani security forces in Turbat district on the night of November 26, has died in custody under suspicious circumstances, according to local sources.
Details of the incident reveal that Israr, a local resident, was wounded when the Pakistani forces opened fire on him. He was then transferred to a hospital in Turbat in critical condition. Hospital sources confirmed that when he arrived, Israr was initially declared to be out of danger. However, the forces later took him into custody while he was still being treated.
Israr’s family sources reported that late in the night, they received a call from the police informing them that a body had been left at the hospital for them to claim. The family was told that the body was of their relative, but at that time, they were not officially informed about the cause of death.
As of now, the forces have refused to release the body to the family, with reports suggesting that they are pressuring the family to sign a form that could be used to state that the death occurred during a supposed encounter or gunfight. The family’s refusal to accept this version of events has sparked further concern.
Political circles have expressed their doubts, strongly suspecting that Israr was killed in custody by the forces after being captured, and that his death is being covered up as a result of a staged encounter. Local activists and human rights groups have raised alarms over the increasing reports of extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances in Balochistan and have repeatedly called initernational human rights groups to taken notice of the situation.