A young Baloch man, Niaz Abdullah, survived an assassination attempt on Friday in Sarbandan, Gwadar, after reportedly being fired upon by a “state-backed” armed group.
According to local sources, Niaz was forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces on May 12 and endured months of alleged torture before being handed over to the police. He had been facing trial on what locals describe as “bogus charges” and was recently released before coming under attack.
A minor child was also injured in the shooting and has been shifted to a hospital along with Niaz for treatment.
No official statement has been issued by the authorities; however, local sources told The Balochistan Post that they believe the attackers were members of state-backed militias, locally known as “Death Squads.”
The attack on Niaz Abdullah follows a disturbing pattern in Balochistan, where individuals who were forcibly disappeared and later released have been targeted by unknown gunmen.
Related: Turbat: Young Man Shot After Release from Pakistani Forces’ Custody
In August last year, a victim of enforced disappearance, Abid—son of Washdil—was shot and severely injured near Mehr-e-Hotel in Turbat’s Aapsar area. He had been forcibly disappeared in March 2023 and was released after ten months in captivity.
On August 17, 2024, another individual, Imtiaz Iqbal, was targeted in Aapsar. Imtiaz had been forcibly disappeared on May 17, 2024, before being released months later.
In January 2025, unidentified gunmen shot dead Zakria Zaheer, a Levies Force employee who had been released after allegedly being forcibly disappeared in September 2024 by Pakistani forces.
The latest shooting in Gwadar has drawn strong condemnation from human rights advocates, who are calling for an immediate end to what they describe as extrajudicial actions in the region.