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Three bodies recovered from Usta Muhammad in Balochistan on August 24 have reportedly been identified as men who had earlier gone missing, with local sources alleging that they were forcibly disappeared by Pakistani security forces.
According to The Balochistan Post, the deceased have been identified as Hafiz Mohammad Waqas, a Levies personnel from Machh in Bolan; his brother Mittha Khan, son of Nawab Khan, and Maqbool Ahmed, son of Jan Mohammad, a resident of Dasht Sabzband. Waqas was reportedly taken into custody and forcibly disappeared in May 2026. Local sources cited by The Balochistan Post said the bodies were recovered from Usta Muhammad and showed apparent signs of torture. The circumstances surrounding the deaths, however, have not been independently established, and no official investigation findings have been made public. The reported recoveries come amid growing concern over a series of bodies discovered across Balochistan in recent days. More than 15 bodies have reportedly been found in areas including Panjgur, Mastung and Kharan. Several bodies recovered from Panjgur were allegedly identified as individuals who had previously been reported missing, while the identities of others remain unknown. The latest cases have renewed scrutiny of Pakistan's longstanding record on enforced disappearances in Balochistan. The Balochistan Post reported that cases involving the discovery of bodies belonging to previously missing people have surfaced repeatedly over the years. Baloch political and human rights organisations have accused Pakistani security institutions of detaining missing persons and, in some cases, killing them in custody before abandoning their bodies. Pakistan's authorities and security institutions have repeatedly denied involvement in enforced disappearances and allegations of extrajudicial killings. Rights groups and political organisations have continued to demand credible and transparent investigations into disappearances across the province. They have also called for missing individuals to be produced before courts, their families to be informed of their whereabouts, and anyone accused of wrongdoing to be subjected to due legal process. (ANI)
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