The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) has released a report detailing the alleged abduction, torture, and extrajudicial killing of Zareef Baloch, a 37-year-old resident of Dazin Tump in Balochistan’s Kech district.
The report presents harrowing evidence of human rights violations by state forces, urging immediate attention from both national and international bodies.
Details of the Incident
According to the report, on December 26, 2024, Frontier Corps (FC) personnel raided Zareef Baloch’s home in Dazin, forcibly abducting him in the presence of his family. Three days later, on December 29, his mutilated body was discovered near his residence, bearing evidence of severe torture, including burn injuries, bruises from beatings, and mutilation. The report alleges that Zareef’s tongue was cut, his limbs tied, and he was subjected to electric shocks.
The BYC claims that the family’s attempts to seek justice were obstructed. While attempting to transport Zareef’s body to Turbat for a postmortem examination, the family was detained at the Hasiya Abad checkpoint for over 20 hours. This delay forced them to bury Zareef without an official autopsy as his body began to decompose.
Systematic Oppression in Balochistan
The BYC report underscores a longstanding pattern of systemic human rights abuses in Balochistan. The region has been subjected to what the BYC characterizes as “genocide and systematic resource exploitation,” with state forces employing violence to suppress dissent.
While organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have documented some cases, the report notes that many abuses remain concealed due to limited media coverage and restricted access for international observers.
Zareef Baloch’s case is part of this broader pattern of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Balochistan, where the “kill and dump” policy has become an entrenched practice, the report says.
The report lists other recent victims of extrajudicial killings, including Naveed Baloch from Buleda, Israr Baloch from Danuk, Abid Hussain, son of Ghulam Hussain; Mast Khan, son of Ghawar Khan; and Bashir Baloch, son of Abdul Ghani, a resident of Gwadar.
Legal Violations and BYC Recommendations
The BYC report argues that Zareef’s abduction and killing breach both Pakistani constitutional guarantees and international human rights laws. Specifically, the report cites:
- Right to Life (Article 9 of the Pakistani Constitution; Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
- Prohibition of Torture (Article 14 of the Pakistani Constitution; Convention Against Torture)
- Due Process and Equality Before the Law (Articles 10 and 25 of the Pakistani Constitution)
In response, the BYC has called on Pakistani authorities to launch an independent investigation and prosecute those responsible for these crimes. Additionally, the BYC has urged human rights organizations and the international community to:
- Dispatch fact-finding missions to investigate alleged Pakistani atrocities in Balochistan.
- Impose sanctions on entities responsible for systemic abuses, including the Frontier Corps.
- Amend Pakistani laws to formally criminalize enforced disappearances and hold perpetrators accountable.
- Advocate for accountability and sanctions against individuals and entities involved in systematic human rights abuses.
“The brutal killing of Zareef Baloch highlights the ongoing systematic genocide faced by the Baloch people,” the report concludes. “Despite these atrocities, the Baloch continue to resist through various peaceful means.” The BYC remains committed to opposing such crimes “by all available means” and calls for immediate action to ensure accountability and justice for Zareef’s family.