Family of Baloch youth stages sit-in, demands justice amid rising extrajudicial killings

Turbat [Pakistan] February 21 (ANI): The relatives of Karim Baloch, who was reportedly murdered by members of a government-supported "Death Squad," have organized a sit-in demonstration with his remains in Turbat city, located in Balochistan's Kech district.
The Balochistan Post reported that reports indicate that the mourning family, along with Baloch activists, moved Karim's body from Tump, where he was allegedly killed, to the M-8 Highway at D-Baloch Cross in Turbat to conduct a sit-in protest for justice.
The family said that they had initially travelled from Tump to Turbat in search of justice. Yet, they claim that no steps have been taken to apprehend those responsible.
The family appealed to the citizens of Turbat, to participate in their protest and call for accountability regarding the targeted killings of Baloch youth. They stressed the importance of widespread support to put an end to the ongoing violence, TBP reported.
TBP report highlighted that Balochistan has historically suffered from alleged enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and a systematic campaign of repression against those calling for greater autonomy or independence.
Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have reported numerous cases of forced abductions, disappearances, and the killings of Baloch activists, intellectuals, and students by both state security forces and associated militias.
These militias, reportedly backed by Pakistan's security agencies, have been accused of targeting Baloch political activists, journalists, and intellectuals.
According to Baloch nationalist groups and rights organizations, the primary purpose of these squads is to combat the ongoing Baloch independence movement, which has persisted for decades, TBP report revealed.
Human rights organizations have consistently called for international intervention and independent probes into the actions of these "Death Squads." Amnesty International has urged Pakistani authorities in several of its reports to halt enforced disappearances and bring those responsible for extrajudicial killings to justice. The United Nations has also expressed alarm regarding the worsening human rights conditions in Balochistan, TBP reiterated.
TBP reported that Baloch nationalist leaders and activists argue that the systematic targeting of youth like Karim Baloch is part of a larger strategy aimed at instilling fear among the populace and quelling aspirations for self-determination. They contend that without international pressure and accountability, such killings are likely to persist unchecked. (ANI)