Balochistan has become a battleground for violent actions: Report

PAANK has released a scathing monthly report highlighting the deteriorating human rights situation in Pakistan’s Balochistan.

The report paints a grim picture of the atrocities faced by the Baloch community, including enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, horrific road accidents, and false terrorism charges against individuals who disappear under mysterious circumstances.

According to PAANK’s report, Balochistan has become a battleground for violent actions allegedly carried out by state forces such as the Frontier Corps (FC), the Counter Terrorism Department and army-backed death squads.

In May alone, the province recorded 19 cases of torture victims, three extrajudicial killings and 90 enforced disappearances. Tragically, many of those who disappear later return bearing marks of torture, the report said.

Among the extrajudicial killings documented in the report are the cases of Zahid Niaz of Kandari Mashkai District Awaran and Yar Muhammad Jalal of Nasirabad, both shot dead on May 27. The report also details the brutal murder of Balach Nazir Ahmad Badini, a promising football player from Nushki, who was shot dead in broad daylight.

The problem of enforced disappearances is widespread in Balochistan, where 90 cases were reported in May alone. Districts such as Kech, Dera Bugti and Gwadar are particularly affected, with 22, 29 and 15 cases reported respectively.

Furthermore, the report highlights the worrying trend of false terrorism charges being leveled against previously disappeared individuals, citing the example of Niaz Abdullah and Bashir Abdul Ghani, who were arrested in Gwadar on June 1 after they were reported missing.

The case of Faizal Suwali is another example of this pattern, where he was forcibly disappeared and later resurfaced with fabricated charges.

These horrifying details highlight a systematic abuse of power, where individuals already in the custody of the Pakistani defence forces are being wrongly implicated in crimes they did not commit.

As human rights violations continue in Balochistan, the PAANK report is a reminder of the urgent need for accountability and justice.