In a shocking escalation of violence in Balochistan, the mutilated body of 26-year-old Imran Taj, a student at Turbat University, was discovered in the streets of Turbat city, Kech district, on Friday. According to the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), a prominent human rights group, Taj had been forcibly disappeared for the past nine months, allegedly abducted by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Frontier Corps personnel on June 27 while returning home from classes.
The discovery has plunged Taj’s family and the wider Baloch community into profound grief. BYC issued a strongly worded statement condemning the extrajudicial killing, highlighting it as part of a disturbing pattern of enforced disappearances, targeted assassinations, and non-judicial executions plaguing the province. ‘This tragic incident has left their family and the entire Baloch community in deep shock,’ the organization stated, emphasizing that Baloch people deserve the right to life, security, and justice without living in fear.
BYC has urgently appealed to international human rights bodies and the United Nations to take notice of the deteriorating situation in Balochistan and ensure the protection of Baloch rights. They stressed that their struggle is not rooted in hatred but in safeguarding dignity and human rights.
Adding to the region’s woes, the Balochistan Human Rights Council (HRCP) expressed grave concern over a separate brutal attack on February 25 in the Minaj area of Kech district. Unidentified armed men launched mortar fire at a house before storming inside and opening heavy gunfire, killing six civilians—including women and children—and injuring three others. The assailants also torched three vehicles parked outside.
HRCP described the killings of innocent civilians, especially vulnerable groups, as a grave violation of fundamental human rights and humanitarian principles. ‘No political motive or security pretext can justify such acts,’ the council asserted, calling for immediate investigations and accountability.
These incidents underscore the volatile security landscape in Balochistan, where allegations of state-sponsored atrocities continue to fuel separatist sentiments and international scrutiny. As human rights groups amplify their voices, the international community faces growing pressure to intervene and address the cycle of violence.