A young labourer was allegedly shot dead by a “state-backed armed group” in Tump, district Kech, while in a separate incident an elected local councillor died during a military search operation in Dasht tehsil.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) said 21-year-old Tahir Baloch, son of Mulla Nisar and a resident of Koshkalat, was killed on 21 January when “state-backed local militias” opened fire on him. The group said Tahir came from an extremely poor family and worked as a part-time labourer to support his household.
Eyewitnesses cited by the group said the shooting was “deliberate and unprovoked.”
BYC described the incident as part of a broader pattern of violence by militias “operating under state patronage,” and called for accountability.
Death During Military Raid in Dasht
Meanwhile, in the village of Sholeeg in Dasht tehsil of Kech district, residents said Pakistani forces conducted a house-to-house search operation early on 24 January. During the raid, a local councillor chairman, Jam Khudadad, died after what witnesses described as “severe verbal pressure and interrogation.”
Residents said security personnel questioned him about the presence of Baloch fighters in the area. According to one account, he responded that no armed men were present in the village and that “if anyone is to be arrested or killed, they are in the mountains,” questioning the purpose of harassing civilians.
Witnesses said Khudadad collapsed during the exchange and died shortly afterwards.
Local residents said three men were detained during the operation but were later released. They said Khudadad’s death occurred because he was unable to withstand the “severe psychological pressure” exerted during the raid.
Human rights groups have long documented allegations of enforced disappearances, custodial killings and abuses during military operations in Balochistan. Pakistani authorities typically deny or do not comment on such allegations.