After facing losses in the Baloch Liberation Army’s Operation Herof, Pakistani police in Balochistan and Sindh have reportedly killed 27 individuals who were previously forcibly disappeared. These incidents occurred in Karachi, Quetta, and other locations, with the victims later being labeled as armed militants. The killings have raised concerns about extrajudicial actions and targeting of Baloch youth and their families.
One of the victims, Hamdan Baloch, was under the custody of Sindh Police and had appeared before the Sindh High Court. Despite this, authorities claimed he died in an encounter, while his family continues to face harassment. The editorial in The Balochistan Post highlighted a pattern where disappeared individuals are killed in alleged encounters following losses suffered by armed groups in Balochistan.
For over a decade, there have been reports of systematic killings of Baloch individuals by Pakistan’s military and state institutions. The recent killing of 27 disappeared persons is part of a long-standing trend in the region. The editorial emphasized that such actions, including enforced disappearances and custodial killings, are straining the relationship between Balochistan and Pakistan, undermining the state’s legitimacy.
The Human Rights Council of Balochistan has expressed deep concern over the rising violence in the region, attributed to both Pakistani forces and non-state actors. A recent attack in the Kech district resulted in the deaths of six individuals and injuries to several others, including women and children. The rights body condemned the attack, stating that targeting innocent civilians violates fundamental human rights and humanitarian principles.
