Two Brothers Killed After Being Taken Into Custody by Pakistani Forces
KECH, BALOCHISTAN: Two brothers, Imam, 22, and Muhammad Umar, 20, both sons of Muhammad Ilyas and residents of Shaban Bazaar in Mand, Kech, were killed after being taken into custody by the Frontier Corps near Balicha cross on July 10, 2026.
The victims, who worked as labourers, were returning home when they were detained. Family sources reported that neither brother was presented before a court, formally charged with an offence, or provided access to legal proceedings before their deaths.
According to sources, the bodies of Imam and Muhammad Umar were later returned to their family bearing gunshot wounds. The bodies of both victims showed signs of severe torture in addition to bullet wounds.
The deaths have prompted renewed cases of extrajudicial killings in Balochistan. Human rights advocates say the brothers’ deaths reflect a broader pattern of enforced disappearances and unlawful killings, while emphasising that independent investigations are needed to establish the facts and determine accountability.
According to the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), the killings would constitute serious violations of international human rights law, including Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees the right to life, liberty and security of person, and Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which protects the inherent right to life and prohibits arbitrary deprivation of life.
The Committee has called on the United Nations, the international community and human rights organisations to press for independent and impartial investigations into the deaths, as well as broader ongoing cases of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in Balochistan.
