Two Baloch civilians killed by state-backed death squads; rights groups call for justice

Time of India

6 days ago

In two separate incidents of extrajudicial killings in Balochistan, two
Baloch
civilians, Yasir Baloch and Musafir Baloch, were reportedly killed by operatives of
state-backed death squads
in the Kech and Turbat regions, intensifying concerns among rights groups over the continued targeting of Baloch youth by Pakistsecurity forces and affiliated militias.
On May 20, Yasir Baloch, son of Nasram Baloch and a resident of Geshkur, Tehsil Buleda in the Kech district, was shot and killed by members of a death squad allegedly backed by Pakistani forces. Yasir was working as a daily wage labourer in a local orchard and was the sole breadwinner for his family. His killing has left his relatives devastated and local communities alarmed, according to a statement by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee.
Ten days later, on May 30, another Baloch civilian, Musafir Baloch, son of Pir Dad and a resident of Apsar, Turbat, was similarly gunned down by operatives of a state-backed militia. Musafir, a professional driver, was reportedly targeted without cause.
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Both killings are part of what rights activists describe as a systematic campaign of extrajudicial executions and enforced disappearances in Balochistan. Over the past two decades, numerous cases have surfaced involving Baloch students, teachers, labourers, and ordinary civilians being abducted or killed by shadowy armed groups operating with impunity, allegedly under the protection or direct command of Pakistani security institutions.
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The killings of Yasir and Musafir have sparked renewed calls from human rights organisations for an international investigation into state-linked violence in the region. Advocacy groups urge the global community to press Islamabad to halt these unlawful killings and hold perpetrators accountable.