Fresh wave of alleged extrajudicial killings sparks outcry in Balochistan

Barkhan/Awaran [Pakistan], May 27 (ANI): In continuation of alleged extrajudicial killings in Balochistan, three previously missing persons were killed in what is being widely condemned as a staged encounter by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in Barkhan.
In a separate incident, another youth was found dead under suspicious circumstances in Awaran district after reportedly being summoned by security forces.
As per The Balochistan Post, early Monday morning, the CTD claimed to have conducted an operation in Tang Kiryar area of Barkhan district. The bodies of Abdul Rehman Buzdar, Fareed Buzdar, and Sultan Marri were subsequently shifted to the Basic Health Unit (BHU) hospital in Rakni. All three had reportedly been victims of enforced disappearance for several months.
A CTD spokesperson stated that the operation involved an exchange of fire with militants, resulting in fatalities and the recovery of weapons. However, families of the deceased and Baloch rights activists rejected the official narrative, asserting that the encounter was fake and the men were executed after prolonged illegal detention.
In a related development, in Awaran's Kolwah tehsil, the body of a young man, Ghaus Bakhsh, was discovered hours after he was reportedly summoned to a local military camp. His body bore signs of torture, further fueling claims of custodial death.
Human rights groups allege that such incidents reflect a deepening pattern of state-led violence in Balochistan. Similar cases in Dukki, Ziarat, and Quetta have been reported in recent months, where previously disappeared individuals were later killed in disputed operations.
Baloch activists argue that the growing number of such cases underscores a systematic campaign of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, demanding independent investigations and international attention to end impunity. (ANI)