Balochistan has become a battleground for violent actions: Report

The human rights wing of the Baloch National Movement (BNM), known as PAANK, in its report condemned the atrocities committed by the Pakistan Army in Balochistan, including enforced disappearances and fake encounters.

PAANK releases a scathing monthly report highlighting the deteriorating human rights situation in Balochistan, Pakistan.

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 the disappeared later return from the dead bearing signs of torture, the report said.

Among the extrajudicial killings documented in the report, the cases of Zahid Niaz of Kandari Mashkai District Awaran and Yar Muhammad Jalal of Nasirabad are highlighted, both of whom were 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 in broad daylight.

Enforced disappearances remain a widespread issue 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 a disturbing trend of false terrorism charges being filed against previously disappeared individuals, citing the example of Niaz Abdullah and Bashir Abdul Ghani, both of whom were arrested in Gwadar on June 1 after being reported missing.

The case of Faisal Suwali further exemplifies this pattern, where he/she was forcibly disappeared and subsequently resurfaced with fabricated charges.

These horrifying details underscore 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.