QUETTA – A leading human rights organization in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province has raised the alarm over escalating violence against civilians, spotlighting the brutal abduction and murder of two farmers in early February. The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) detailed the harrowing cases, accusing state forces of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings that violate international law.
The first victim, 26-year-old farmer Taimoor, vanished on February 9 from Surab district. His body was later dumped, bearing clear signs of torture after days in custody, according to BYC. Taimoor was a hardworking laborer supporting his family through daily farm work. The group condemned the act as a flagrant breach of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which safeguards the right to life, and the Convention Against Torture (CAT).
In a parallel incident, 31-year-old farmer Murtaza was detained at a Frontier Corps (FC) checkpoint in Surab on the same day, without warrant or charges. His family received no updates on his whereabouts. Eleven days later, on February 20, his tortured body surfaced, mirroring patterns in other reported cases across Balochistan.
BYC has notified the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, demanding accountability from Pakistani authorities. The organization holds state institutions responsible for these ‘extrajudicial executions’ and urges the international community to push for a full, independent probe.
This month’s violence marks a dangerous spike, with BYC confirming 19 extrajudicial killings so far, alongside rising fake encounters and abductions. Families live in perpetual fear, targeted regardless of age or status, as rights to life, liberty, and security are systematically eroded.
Media blackouts, intimidation, and a climate of terror ensure many cases go undocumented. ‘These barbaric acts assault the dignity and survival of the Baloch people,’ BYC stated, calling for global intervention to end the cycle of impunity.