Quetta, March 2: Following the losses incurred by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) during Operation Heroof, Pakistani police have been accused of forcibly disappearing 27 individuals in Balochistan and Sindh. These disappearances reportedly occurred in Karachi, Quetta, and other locations, with the individuals later described as armed militants.
For over 20 years, Baloch youth have faced extrajudicial killings in Balochistan, and now their families are being targeted as a form of collective punishment by the Pakistani authorities.
According to a report by The Balochistan Post, Hamdan Baloch was in the custody of Sindh police and had been presented in Sindh High Court twice. Despite this, officials claimed he was killed in a police encounter, while his family continues to face harassment in an effort to silence them.
The report states, “Whenever armed groups fighting for freedom in Balochistan inflict damage on the Pakistani military, security agencies retaliate by killing previously enforced disappeared individuals in extrajudicial circumstances, claiming they were killed in armed encounters.”
It further mentions, “After the losses suffered by the BLA during Operation Heroof, police in Balochistan and Sindh killed 27 forcibly disappeared persons in Karachi, Barkhan, Panjgur, and Quetta, later labeling them as armed militants. Notably, one of them, Hamdan Baloch, had already been presented in Sindh High Court, and his court appearance was scheduled for the same day he was killed.”
For years, the Pakistani military and powerful state institutions have systematically targeted the Baloch people. The killing of 27 forcibly disappeared individuals in February is not the first incident of its kind in Balochistan, as the trend of killing enforced disappearances in alleged encounters has persisted for over a decade. However, due to media restrictions and state pressure, only a limited number of such cases are reported.
The report concludes, “Pakistan’s powerful institutions may believe that enforced disappearances, state repression, collective punishment, and killings in custody can suppress the Baloch insurgency. However, the reality on the ground in Balochistan shows that such policies are further weakening the relationship between Balochistan and Pakistan. The grief of Hamdan Baloch’s mother, along with the collective mourning of other mothers affected by state repression, continuously undermines the state’s legitimacy in the region.”
On Friday, the Human Rights Council of Balochistan (HRCB) expressed deep concern over the alarming increase in violence perpetrated by the Pakistani military and non-state actors in Balochistan.
The rights organization reported that on February 25, unidentified armed individuals launched a brutal attack in the Minaz area of Kech district, resulting in the deaths of six people and injuries to three others, including women and children.
According to HRCB, the attackers allegedly fired mortar shells at a house and then opened heavy gunfire on the people inside. They also set three vehicles parked outside the house on fire.
HRCB stated, “The killing of innocent civilians, especially women and children, is a serious violation of fundamental human rights and humanitarian principles. No political objective or security argument can justify such acts.”
My name is Ganpat Singh Choughan. I am an experienced content writer with 7 years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including technology, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
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