In a continuation of alleged extrajudicial killings in Balochistan, three previously missing persons were killed in what is being widely condemned as a staged encounter by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in Barkhan, while another youth was found dead after being summoned reportedly by security forces in Awaran.
Early this morning, three bodies were transferred to the Basic Health Unit (BHU) hospital in Rakni following a CTD operation in Tang Kiryar, Barkhan district. The deceased were identified as Abdul Rehman Buzdar, son of Faiz Muhammad Buzdar; Fareed Buzdar, son of Rahim Buzdar—both residents of Rarra Sham—and Sultan Marri, son of Eido Marri. All three had reportedly been victims of enforced disappearance for several months.
According to the CTD spokesperson, the operation led to an exchange of fire with armed militants, resulting in two fatalities, while their accomplices managed to escape. Weapons including two Kalashnikov rifles, a pistol, and two improvised explosive devices were allegedly recovered from the scene. The spokesperson claimed that the deceased were affiliated with a banned organization.
However, families of the victims and Baloch activists have strongly rejected the CTD’s claims, asserting that the encounter was fake and that the men were killed after being forcibly disappeared by state forces. They argue this is part of a broader and ongoing pattern of extrajudicial killings in the region.
This incident is not isolated. In recent months, Balochistan has witnessed a spike in such cases, where missing persons are later reported dead in so-called encounters. Nationalist groups and human rights organizations accuse state institutions of carrying out enforced disappearances and extrajudicial executions with impunity.
Earlier this year, on April 19 in Dukki district, CTD claimed to have killed five alleged terrorists in an operation—individuals who were later identified as missing persons. Similar incidents have occurred in Quetta’s Darakshan area and in Chautair, Ziarat district, where multiple people previously reported as missing were killed in operations later discredited as fake encounters.
In a separate but related development, another case emerged today from Awaran district. In the Kolwah tehsil, a young man named Ghaus Bakhsh was reportedly summoned to a local military camp. Hours later, his tortured body was found abandoned nearby.
According to local sources, Ghaus Bakhsh had been taken into custody by Pakistani forces earlier in the day. His corpse bore clear signs of severe torture. Residents and activists claim he was killed while in custody, and his body dumped in a deserted area.
Baloch circles argue that this too is a part of the prolonged and painful cycle of violence in Balochistan, marked by enforced disappearances, custodial torture, and extrajudicial killings. They emphasize that Ghaus Bakhsh’s case is not an isolated tragedy but emblematic of the suffering of thousands of Baloch families affected by state repression.
Enforced disappearances have plagued Balochistan for over two decades, but the recent surge in such incidents has alarmed human rights observers and intensified calls for accountability and justice.