Five Baloch civilians allegedly killed by Pakistani forces, rights groups claim

Quetta: At least five civilians were extrajudicially killed, and four others were forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces in Balochistan, according to leading human rights organisations.

Human rights body Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) mentioned that the bullet-riddled body of 17-year-old student Hatim Baloch was dumped on April 16, nearly 11 days after he was allegedly forcibly disappeared by Pakistan’s Frontier Corps personnel from the Paroom area in the Panjgur district.

Condemning the brutal killing, the BYC said, “The state has drenched Balochistan in blood. The state thirsts for Baloch blood. Whenever the state is seized by its impulse, it spills Baloch blood without fear or restraint. Those who dare to ask questions are thrown into jails and dungeons to silence them. Drone strikes are carried out on civilian populations, people are killed, and an atmosphere of fear is manufactured so that people remain silent out of dread.”

In a separate incident on the same day, the rights body revealed that Pakistani forces killed four Baloch civilians in a staged encounter and brought their tortured bodies to Panjgur Hospital, claiming that they were killed in a combat engagement.

Highlighting the atrocities against civilians across Balochistan, Paank, the Baloch National Movement’s Human Rights Department strongly condemned the enforced disappearance of two Baloch youths in Panjgur on Friday at the hands of Pakistani forces. (IANS)

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