A 21-year-old student and activist, Zeeshan Zaheer Baloch, was found dead in Balochistan’s Panjgur district just hours after reportedly being abducted by members of a state-backed armed group.
Local sources said Zeeshan was abducted near Football Chowk in Panjgur around 8:00 p.m. on Sunday by members of a militia commonly referred to by locals as a “death squad.”
On Monday morning, his bullet-riddled body was discovered near Ghareeb Nawaz Hotel in the Sordo area and taken to Panjgur Teaching Hospital for post-mortem examination. Hospital sources said that he had been shot multiple times.
Zeeshan was the son of Zaheer Ahmed Baloch, who was forcibly disappeared in April 2015. The family said Zeeshan was targeted because of his continued campaign for his father’s release and his public criticism of enforced disappearances in Balochistan.
Following his abduction, Zeeshan’s family and local residents staged a sit-in protest on the CPEC route in Panjgur, demanding his release. The protest continued late into the night, but by morning, the family was informed of his death.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) confirmed that Zeeshan was a member of its Panjgur Zone Organizing Committee. In a statement, the group said he was not only the son of a disappeared person but also a politically conscious youth who regularly participated in protests and consistently spoke out against human rights violations.
The BYC added that he had grown up without his father and ultimately lost his life while seeking justice for him, calling the incident “a brutal continuation of the multigenerational repression inflicted on Baloch families.”
The group announced that region-wide protest demonstrations and memorial gatherings would be held in Zeeshan’s name. It urged all BYC zones to begin organizing events and said a social media awareness campaign would also be launched to highlight the case.
Meanwhile, several human rights organizations condemned the killing and called for an independent investigation.
The Human Rights Council of Balochistan (HRCB) said the killing “adds to a long-standing history of violence against Zeeshan’s family.” In 2013, his father Zaheer and nephew Sameer were fired upon by Frontier Corps personnel while riding a motorcycle. Sameer died from his injuries, while Zaheer survived but was later forcibly disappeared on 13 April 2015 while en route to Karachi for a medical appointment.
The HRCB added that Zeeshan and his sister Adeeba had continued their father’s struggle and supported other families affected by enforced disappearances.
According to HRCB data, killings by state forces in Balochistan have increased by more than 75 percent in the first five months of 2025 compared to all of 2024. The group called Zeeshan’s killing “a stark reminder of the dangers faced by those who dare to speak out” and urged the Pakistani state to end its policy of repression against civilians.