Quetta, Oct 18: The human rights organisation Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) has sounded alarm over a sharp rise in enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and torture allegedly carried out by Pakistani authorities across Balochistan.
In its latest report titled “Human Rights Situation in Balochistan,” the BYC documented widespread abuses between July and August, claiming that human rights violations against Baloch civilians have intensified as Pakistan tightened control through both force and legal measures.
According to the report, 182 people were forcibly disappeared during the two months—80 in July and 102 in August. Of these, 38 were later released, one was reportedly killed in custody, while 142 remain missing, with no information about their fate. The victims include 40 students, 15 minors, and one woman. The districts of Quetta, Kech, and Awaran recorded the highest number of such cases, with the Frontier Corps identified as the primary perpetrator.
The BYC also reported 29 extrajudicial killings, including cases of custodial deaths, target killings, and “kill-and-dump” incidents. Most of these were recorded in Kech, Awaran, and Khuzdar districts. The report noted that 59% of violations were committed by Pakistan-backed death squads, while 21% involved armed forces. Two children were among the victims, killed by mortar shelling on civilian areas.
Highlighting brutal torture practices, the report detailed how several mutilated bodies of young Baloch men—victims of enforced disappearances—were found dumped along roadsides, particularly in Kech and Awaran.
The BYC accused Pakistani authorities of practising collective punishment by targeting families of activists and political workers, describing ongoing military operations as an attempt to crush dissent.
Citing Pakistan’s obligations under the ICCPR, Convention Against Torture, and Geneva Conventions, the BYC urged the United Nations and the global community to intervene to end impunity and protect the fundamental rights of the Baloch people.
