Balochistan: Another Fake Encounter, Tortured Body of Abducted Youth Found

QUETTA – The tortured body of a youth, who had been forcibly disappeared earlier this year and later presented as arrested by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), has been found in Balochistan.

The victim, identified as Shabbir Ahmed, son of Abdul Ghani, a resident of Gwadar, whose dead body was discovered on November 22, 2024, in the Awaran area of Balochistan.

Shabbir had been forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces on May 22, 2024, and the CTD, along with the then Provincial Home Minister Zia Langove, had confirmed his arrest in a press conference, accusing him of being linked to the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).

This incident follows a claim by the Pakistan Army’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on November 22, stating that four individuals were killed during operations and clashes in Awaran, Kech, and Dera Bugti.

Shabbir Ahmed’s body, found in Awaran, showed clear signs of torture and mistreatment. Despite official claims that he was killed in an encounter, evidence suggests the incident was staged by the CTD.

Similar incidents have occurred where individuals detained by the CTD and other military forces were later found dead, their deaths presented as casualties of fake encounters. These actions have sparked repeated protests from Baloch citizens and human rights activists.

Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have condemned these actions, urging authorities to stop the killing of detained individuals and conduct thorough investigations. They have called for accountability and for those responsible for these human rights violations to be held accountable.

The International Voice for Baloch Missing Persons has called for immediate global action to end these atrocities and ensure justice for the victims and their families.

Baloch Yakjehti Committee and Haq Do Tehreek Statements

The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (Baloch Solidarity Committee) issued a statement, revealing that Bashir, aged 24, was forcibly disappeared from Surbandan, district Gwadar, along with Niaz, son of Abdullah, and several other local residents on May 22 this year.

Following these abductions, their identities were revealed on May 30 through a reportedly false FIR containing fabricated charges. The CTD accused the disappeared individuals of involvement in serious crimes.

Later, Bashir was presented before a local magistrate, and according to his family, he was acquitted, as the charges against him were unfounded. His family had hoped for his release, but tragically, like many forcibly disappeared Baloch individuals, Bashir’s bullet-ridden body was returned on November 22.

This continuation of the “kill and dump” policy indicates the state’s indifference to the consequences of its actions. The abductions and killings are expected to intensify, as the law and constitution seem inapplicable to the Baloch people.

Earlier, Balach Mula Baksh suffered a similar fate, and now Bashir Baloch has met the same tragic end.

BYC said that the Baloch people must recognise that silence in these circumstances is equivalent to accepting death. As long as our loved ones remain in the custody of state forces, they are vulnerable to execution at any moment, as part of collective punishment.

The Haq Do Tehreek Balochistan (Balochistan Rights Movement), in a statement from its central office, condemned the extrajudicial killing of Bashir. The movement expressed concern that the CTD’s involvement in Bashir’s custodial death is proof of its complicity in such brutal acts. The movement emphasised that the CTD has played a key role in the enforced disappearances and killings of Baloch youth, facilitating these violent acts.

The statement also pointed out that the CTD had confirmed Bashir’s detention, yet his body was found outside the district, raising serious concerns.

The movement claimed that the CTD had illegally transferred Bashir to another security agency, falsely labelling it an escape, employing the same sinister tactics as in previous cases where detained youth were killed after being in CTD custody.

The Haq Do Tehreek made it clear that if an impartial investigation into Bashir’s murder is not conducted, and if the CTD continues its criminal activities, a full-scale campaign will be launched against the institution.