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The human rights wing of the Baloch National Movement (BNM), PAANK, has released a harrowing report documenting an increase in human rights abuses across Balochistan in October 2024.
The report highlights 110 enforced disappearances, six extrajudicial killings, and an alarming escalation in military operations, underscoring what PAANK describes as a dire humanitarian crisis, The Balochistan Post reported. The report alleges that these abuses are part of a systematic campaign targeting Baloch students, political activists, human rights defenders, and ordinary civilians. PAANK accuses Pakistani security forces, intelligence agencies, and their allied local militias, referred to as "death squads," of orchestrating these acts. The organisation strongly condemns the actions, describing them as a "deliberate campaign of violence" and asserting that they constitute a "systematic genocide" requiring urgent international intervention. According to the report, the 110 cases of enforced disappearances occurred across 14 districts of Balochistan, with some incidents reported in Karachi and Punjab. Dera Bugti reported the highest number of disappearances, accounting for 27 cases, most of which involved Baloch students allegedly abducted by military and intelligence forces, reported The Balochistan Post. The report also details six extrajudicial killings attributed to Pakistani forces and their allied 'death squads.' Among the documented cases is the killing of Pir Jan in Panjgur's main market on October 1, allegedly carried out by a military-backed squad. Another incident occurred on October 6, when a man named Altaf was killed in the Buleda tehsil of Kech district. Military operations have reportedly intensified in Dera Bugti, Kech, and Barkhan, with civilians subjected to violence and forced displacement. The PAANK report specifically mentions a group called the 'Aman Force' (Peace Force), an alleged military-backed militia, as responsible for many of these actions. PAANK also referenced the violent dispersal of a peaceful protest against enforced disappearances outside Karachi Press Club on October 26. Security forces arrested multiple protesters, including Baloch Yakjehti Committee leader Lala Wahab Baloch, who was later released by court order, The Balochistan Post reported. Calling for urgent global action, PAANK has urged the international community to investigate what it describes as war crimes in Balochistan. The organisation stated, "The evidence is clear, and silence from the global community can no longer be justified." (ANI)
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