The alleged abduction and extrajudicial killing of Zareef Baloch, a resident of Dazin Tump in Balochistan’s Kech district, has sparked widespread protests and condemnation across the region.
Zareef was reportedly taken from his home by Pakistani security forces on the night of December 26, in the presence of his family. His body, bearing signs of severe torture, was discovered the following day in the same area.
According to PAANK, the human rights wing of the Baloch National Movement (BNM), eyewitnesses confirmed that Zareef was forcibly taken from his home.
“Eyewitness accounts confirm that Zareef was forcibly taken from his home by Pakistani security forces,” PAANK stated on X. “This extrajudicial killing underscores the grave human rights abuses in Balochistan, including systematic torture and enforced disappearances. Such acts are a clear violation of Pakistan’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).”
Protests and Blockades
Following the discovery of Zareef’s body, his family attempted to stage a protest at Shaheed Fida Chowk in Turbat. However, they were reportedly stopped by security forces en route to the protest site.
In response, residents and activists staged a sit-in at the CPEC Highway near D-Baloch Point in Turbat. Women protesters accused the authorities of preventing Zareef’s body from being transported to Turbat for a medical examination.
“What greater oppression can there be against the Baloch than denying us the right to mourn our dead?” a protester said.
Zareef’s daughter, in a video message recorded at the Asiababad checkpoint, demanded justice for her father and called on authorities to allow the body to be brought to Turbat for an autopsy.
Meanwhile, a complete shutdown strike was observed in Tump on Saturday as residents protested what they described as “systematic abuses” by Pakistani forces.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) released a statement condemning what it described as the “forced burial” of Zareef Baloch. According to the BYC, the family faced harassment and intimidation as they tried to demand justice.
“When the family resisted, Pakistani forces detained them at Kolwah, near Asiaabad, and confiscated Zareef’s body to prevent them from reaching Turbat,” the statement read. “This is part of a longstanding strategy of silencing Baloch demands for justice.”
The BYC noted that Zareef’s family ultimately decided to bury him due to the disfigured state of his body but vowed to continue their protests. “We cannot remain silent while our loved ones are brutally murdered by state forces,” the group stated, calling on the Baloch people to resist oppression.
Prominent activist Dr. Mahrang Baloch also condemned the incident, highlighting the increasing use of violence and enforced disappearances in Balochistan.
“The intensity of military barbarism, enforced disappearances, and killings by state-backed militias has intensified, particularly in remote areas of Balochistan,” she said. “I stand in solidarity with Zareef’s family and appeal to the Baloch nation to join the protests in Turbat.”
The incident has drawn widespread condemnation from human rights groups and activists, who have called for international scrutiny and accountability. PAANK urged Pakistani authorities to allow the family to mourn and protest peacefully, launch an impartial investigation, and hold those responsible accountable.
“Threatening to abduct Zareef Baloch’s children further highlights the culture of fear and impunity under which such grave abuses continue,” PAANK stated.
Protests in Turbat and surrounding areas are expected to continue, with demonstrators demanding justice for Zareef Baloch and an end to enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in the region.