Quetta: Another Baloch civilian was extrajudicially killed by Pakistani forces in Balochistan, a leading human rights organisation alleged on Wednesday.
This latest incident comes against the backdrop of a growing wave of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances across the province.
Human rights body Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) said that the mutilated body of a 24-year-old labourer, Rahmdil, was found dumped near the Banuk-e-Chadae area in the Kech district on June 20, after he had been missing for nearly five months.
According to the BYC, he was forcibly disappeared in January this year after being summoned by Pakistani forces to the Hoshap camp.
The rights body said that Rahmdil’s family had spent months demanding his safe return.
On January 20, the family staged a protest by blocking the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Road at Tajaban in Balochistan, calling for his recovery.
The BYC said that the protest was eventually called off after Pakistani authorities assured the family that efforts would be made to secure his release.
However, it said, those assurances failed to materialise, and after months of anguish, Rahmdil’s mutilated body was found.
“The killing of Rahmdil has added to the grief and suffering experienced by many families across Balochistan who continue to search for loved ones who have been forcibly disappeared. Many families wait for months, only to be confronted with devastating news later. These incidents have contributed to a climate of fear, while affected families continue to struggle for justice throughout their lives,” the BYC stated.
“The broader human rights situation in Balochistan requires urgent attention. Families of disappeared persons and human rights defenders have repeatedly called on national and international organisations to hold Pakistan accountable for these atrocities in Balochistan,” it added.
Last week, the Baloch Voice for Justice expressed grave concern over the continuing pattern of enforced disappearances in Panjgur district, alleging that four civilians were forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces between June 10 and 20.
“The abduction of civilians from their homes and communities without due process leaves families trapped in uncertainty and fear. Enforced disappearance is a serious violation of fundamental human rights and deepens the suffering of entire communities already burdened by years of conflict and insecurity,” it noted.
The victims were identified as 51-year-old Lateef, 36-year-old Sadeeq, 24-year-old Aziz, and 23-year-old Zahid Baloch.
The BVJ called on the international community and human rights organisations to take urgent notice of the ongoing crisis of enforced disappearances in Balochistan and press Pakistani authorities for accountability.
(IANS)
