The bodies of two men who had been missing for months after allegedly being detained by Pakistani armed forces were recovered in Awaran district of Balochistan, families and local sources said on Wednesday.
The victims were identified as Ayaz Baloch and Zareef Ahmed, both residents of Kolwah in Kech district.
Local sources said Ayaz, a schoolteacher, was taken into custody on 16 October along with another man, while Zareef was detained from his home on 28 September. Both men had remained unaccounted for until the recovery of their bodies in the Berith area of Awaran.
Families alleged the men were killed in state custody and their bodies dumped in a remote location. Pakistani authorities did not immediately comment on the allegations.
In a statement, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) said the recovery of Ayaz’s body confirmed that he had been “extrajudicially killed while in state custody.” The group described the case as part of a “systemic pattern of enforced disappearances, torture and executions targeting Baloch youth, students and intellectuals” and called for international intervention.
Meanwhile, four bodies recovered on Saturday in Balochistan’s Harnai were identified as Noor Muhammad, Juma Khan Marri, Muhammad Rasool and Ali Akbar, families and local sources said. Relatives of two of the men said they had earlier been detained by Pakistani forces.
Family members said Ali Akbar had been taken into custody seven months ago, while the family of Juma Khan Marri said he was detained from Harnai Bazaar a year earlier and remained missing until his body was recovered.
Rights groups said two of the victims have not yet been confirmed as cases of enforced disappearance but expressed concern they may also have been in state custody.
In a separate development, local police in Musakhel district recovered four more bodies. The victims had reportedly been killed and dumped. However, their identities had not been confirmed at the time of reporting.