A human rights organization has expressed worry about ongoing extrajudicial killings in Mastung district, Balochistan, allegedly conducted by Pakistani security forces under the pretext of “encounters.” The Baloch Voice for Justice (BVJ) condemned these acts, labeling them as a misuse of power that denies Baloch civilians their right to due process. The BVJ raised alarm over the possibility that many victims of these encounters were previously forcibly disappeared individuals, leaving families in perpetual distress.
The rights body highlighted that these extrajudicial killings have persisted for years without accountability, indicating a systemic tolerance for severe human rights violations. It emphasized the urgent need for independent investigations, public disclosure of victim identities, and concrete actions to halt enforced disappearances and staged encounter killings in the province. Additionally, the Baloch Women Forum (BWF) recently expressed similar concerns over escalating human rights abuses in Balochistan, particularly against women, by Pakistani security forces.
The BWF’s report, ‘Baloch Women Victimisation in 2025,’ underscored the prevalence of extrajudicial killings, targeted murders, fake encounters, and in-custody deaths in Balochistan. The region has witnessed a disturbing level of rights violations, characterized by a lack of accountability for atrocities committed. The forum pointed out that Baloch women have been subjected to direct violence, including torture during illegal detentions and indiscriminate firing by Pakistani forces. Balochistan continues to face a grim situation with authorities enabling death squads to perpetrate enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and unlawful detentions of Baloch individuals.
