Balochistan: Pakistan rangers killed five Baloch in a staged encounter in Lyari

KARACHI: The Pakistan paramilitary Rangers have killed five Baloch in a sham encounter on Tuesday evening in Karachi’s Baloch populated area Lyari.

Pakistani media and Rangers spokesperson claimed that the five men were killed in ‘an exchange of fire’ in Lyari’s Ali Mohammad Mohalla Zikri Paada following a grenade attack on a patrolling team of the Rangers.

Locals of the area and eye-witnesses told Balochwarna News that the Ranger’s account is untrue and among the five victims three are certainly innocent.

Two of the men were already in the custody of Pakistani intelligence agencies and the Rangers from past many months whereas one of the deceased was a mentally unstable resident of Ali Mohammad Mohalla who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Three of the victims of Tuesday’s incident have been named as Chakir Ali, Amir Ali and Mehr Ali, whereas the identity of the other two could be confirmed yet.

According to Baloch social media activists, Chakar Ali was reportedly a relative of a slain Baloch activist of BSO. He was also a former torture victim of Pakistani security forces. He lost his mental ability after severe torture and was under treatment in Karachi.

Rasool Bakhsh an uncle of Chakar Ali confirmed to Pakistan’s widely read English Newspaper Dawn.com, that his nephew was “emotionally disturbed, mentally challenged person” and was undergoing treatment at the Lyari General Hospital.

The other two victims Mehr Ali son of Meyar Ali originally hails from Teertej area of Awaran Balochistan and Aamir son of Ali Bakhsh a resident of Malir area of Karachi. They were abducted many months ago. They were in the custody of the Rangers and intelligence agencies of Pakistan.

The family of Mehr Ali said there was a pending petition at Sindh High Court for the safe recovery of Mehr Ali but the court, as usual, could not save him from the notorious criminal officials of the Rangers in Karachi. ‘The Pakistani forces abducted Mehr Ali around 2o months ago,’ his mother told a Pakistani TV channel.

Exiled residents of Lyari area in Karachi told Balochwarna News that Zikri Paada is still under the siege of Rangers and they have arrested and detained almost all the male population of the region.

‘Many of the young boys have been shifted to unknown locations but the majority of them are still being held at local police stations.’

On conditions of anonymity citing security reasons, he said, ‘The Ranger and intelligence agencies in Karachi work for influential politicians from mainstream Pakistani political parties. They consider themselves above the law and not accountable to anyone.’

He said it was not the first time that the Rangers have killed innocent Baloch in a fake encounter such incidents have taken place in the past as well where Rangers held the entire Baloch population hostage in the name of action against gang war.

He added, ‘The gang wars are the creation of Pakistani system and gang war members have the full support of the military, intelligence agencies and well-known politicians who use them for their own petty gains and later either killed them in such encounters or let them fight and slaughter each other’s men.’

Another resident of Lyari from a European country alleged, ‘The AIG Karachi Mushtaq Mahar, Karachi Corps Commander Lt Gen Shahid Baig Mirza and Rangers DG Maj Gen Mohammad Saeed and many corrupt and criminal police officers such as Anwar Rao are directly involved in extrajudicial killings and gang-war-related crimes in Karachi.’