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At least three bodies of Baloch men who had earlier been reported as victims of enforced disappearance were discovered in Kech district, Balochistan, on Friday, the latest addition to a grim pattern of extrajudicial killings and state-linked abductions, as reported by The Balochistan Post.
According to The Balochistan Post, one of the victims, identified as Imran, son of Nadil and a resident of Gomazi, was found dead in the Tump Gomazi area. His body bore multiple bullet wounds. Locals allege that Imran had been seized by members of pro-government militias, commonly referred to as "death squads," that operate with impunity in the region. Witnesses stated that around 2 a.m., armed men belonging to one such militia stormed a house in Tump Gomazi, breaking its boundary wall before abducting Imran. His relatives later received calls from unidentified individuals demanding a ransom of 20 million rupees, allegedly warning that failure to pay would lead to his execution. "The family said they could not afford the amount, and days later, Imran's body was recovered," journalist Saeed Buzdar stated. Family members further claimed that Imran had previously been taken into custody by Pakistani security forces and their allied groups, during which he was brutally tortured before being released. In another tragic incident, two more bodies were recovered from the D. Baloch area of Turbat and later transported to Turbat Teaching Hospital. Hospital sources confirmed the victims as Abubakar, son of Hasil, from Khairin Bal-Nigwar, and Tahir, son of Allah Bakhsh, from Sholi, Dasht. Residents alleged that both men had been missing for weeks, adding that the condition of their bodies suggested they had been held in dark confinement, as highlighted by The Balochistan Post. The discovery of these bodies highlights persistent allegations of systematic human rights abuses in Balochistan. Rights groups and activists have long accused the Pakistani state of orchestrating enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings to stifle the Baloch nationalist movement. Despite widespread criticism and international concern, Pakistan has rarely addressed such reports publicly. Investigations, when conducted, seldom result in prosecutions, leaving families of the disappeared to suffer in silence and fear, as reported by The Balochistan Post. (ANI)
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