Balochistan has become a battleground for violent actions: Report

The Human Rights Department of the Baloch National Movement (BNM), known as PAANK in its report condemned the Pakistan army’s atrocities in Balochistan including enforced disappearances and fake encounters.

PAANK released a chilling monthly report shedding light on the deteriorating human rights situation in Balochistan, Pakistan.

The report paints a grim picture of the atrocities faced by the Baloch community, including enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, horrific road accidents, and false terrorist accusations against individuals who have vanished under mysterious circumstances.

According to the PAANK report, Balochistan has become a battleground for violent actions allegedly perpetrated by state forces such as the Frontier Corps (FC), the Counter-Terrorism Department, and army-backed death squads.

In May alone, the province witnessed 19 cases of torture victims, three extrajudicial killings, and a staggering 90 enforced disappearances. Tragically, many of the disappeared individuals later resurface dead, bearing signs of torture, the report added.

Among the documented extrajudicial killings, the report highlighted the cases of Zahid Niaz from Kandari Mashkai district Awaran and Yar Muhammed Jalal from Nasirabad, both fatally shot on May 27. The report also detailed the brutal murder of Balach Nazir Ahmed Badini, a promising football player from Nushki, gunned down in broad daylight.

Enforced disappearances remain a pervasive issue in Balochistan, with 90 cases reported in May alone. Districts like Kech, Dera Bugti, and Gwadar are particularly affected, with 22, 29, and 15 cases respectively.

Moreover, the report exposes a disturbing trend of false terrorist accusations against individuals who were previously disappeared. Niaz Abdullah and Basheer Abdul Ghani are cited as examples, both arrested in Gwadar on June 1 after being reported missing.

Faisal Suwali’s case further illustrates this pattern, wherein he was forcibly disappeared and subsequently framed with fabricated charges upon his reappearance.

These harrowing accounts underscore a systemic abuse of power, where individuals already in the custody of Pakistani defence forces are unjustly implicated in crimes they could not have committed.

As Balochistan grapples with ongoing human rights violations, the PAANK report serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for accountability and justice.