A man was shot dead in the Gomazi area of Balochistan’s Kech district on Saturday, in what rights groups alleged was another attack by a government-backed militia.
The victim was identified as Jalal, son of Haji Yar Muhammad and a resident of Gomazi. Eyewitnesses and local sources said he was at his shop when armed men in a vehicle opened fire, killing him on the spot. They alleged the attackers belonged to a state-backed militia commonly referred to as a “death squad.”
Earlier the same day, two young men were also killed in Mand, bringing the total number of deaths in Kech district to three within hours.
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Paank, the human rights wing of the Baloch National Movement (BNM), condemned the killings, calling them part of a “disturbing escalation in the pattern of targeted violence allegedly perpetrated by Pakistan Army-backed death squads against students, activists, political opponents and civilians in the region.”
“Such acts appear to be part of a broader campaign of enforced disappearances, arbitrary killings and systematic repression that may amount to crimes against humanity, contributing to the ongoing crisis in Balochistan,” Paank said. “We urge Pakistani authorities to conduct independent, impartial investigations into these killings, hold those responsible accountable and ensure the protection of vulnerable communities.”
The group also called on the international community, including the United Nations and human rights organizations, to monitor the situation and press for an end to what it described as “systematic genocide and human rights violations in Balochistan.”