Five bodies recovered from the Panwan area of Jiwani, Gwadar, have been identified as men who had previously been reported missing, with families and rights advocates raising concerns over the circumstances of their deaths.
According to local sources, the bodies were discovered on Saturday and reportedly bore signs of torture. One of the deceased was identified as Chakar Gulab, a resident of Bil Negor in Kech district, who had allegedly been forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces approximately two years ago.
The development comes days after a major attack on a Pakistan Coast Guards camp in Panwan, claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army’s Majeed Brigade. Following the attack, the Pakistani military stated that a number of militants had been killed during subsequent operations in the area.
However, local sources and rights activists have questioned the official account, alleging that the five deceased individuals had already been in custody prior to the military operation. Similar allegations have been made in previous cases in Balochistan, where families and human rights advocates have accused Pakistani forces of killing detainees and later presenting them as militants killed in armed encounters. Pakistani authorities have consistently rejected allegations of extrajudicial killings.
Separately, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee said that two fishermen from Jiwani, Piri Asa and Shah Bakhsh Umar, had also been among those whose bodies were recently recovered.
In a statement, the organisation said the two men were allegedly detained by Pakistani forces during separate raids on their homes on the nights of 6 and 7 January 2026 and subsequently disappeared. According to the group, both men remained missing for nearly six months before their bodies were found.
The BYC claimed that the bodies showed visible signs of torture. It alleged that Piri Asa’s body bore marks of physical abuse, while Shah Bakhsh Umar had suffered severe facial injuries and other wounds consistent with prolonged mistreatment.
The organisation described the deaths as part of what it says is a continuing pattern of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Balochistan. It also cited concerns raised by some human rights advocates that, in certain cases, individuals who had previously disappeared are later reported as having been killed during security operations.
At the time of publication, Pakistani military and government authorities had not publicly commented on the identities of the deceased or responded to the allegations regarding their prior detention.
Enforced disappearances remain one of the most contentious human rights issues in Balochistan. Families of missing persons, rights organisations and political groups have for years called for greater transparency and accountability, while Pakistani authorities maintain that security operations in the region are conducted in accordance with the law.