3 bodies found, student disappeared amid ongoing abuses in Balochistan

BALOCHISTAN: Three bodies were discovered in separate incidents in Panjgur and Khuzdar districts, while a University of Karachi student was reportedly forcibly disappeared in Turbat, according to a report by The Balochistan Post.

In Panjgur, the body of Zafarullah, son of Ismail and a resident of Tasp, was discovered in the Rakshan seasonal stream, which runs between Bonistan and Tasp. Zafarullah had been missing since June 4. His body was found days later, sparking suspicions of foul play, though no official cause of death has been determined, TBP reported.

In separate events, two unidentified bodies were discovered in the Khuzdar district’s Gresha and Rangu areas. According to local sources, both victims appeared to have been fatally shot. The motive for the killings remains unknown, according to the TBP report.

Meanwhile, reports of the enforced disappearance of a University of Karachi student in Turbat,Extra Ketch district, have emerged. Pakistani security agents seized Uzair Saleem, son of Saleem Essa, in Turbat’s Zor Bazaar region. He has now gone missing. Uzair was taken into custody while visiting his hometown during the university’s break, according to a TBP report.

Human rights organisations and activists have long expressed concern about the ongoing epidemic of enforced disappearances in Balochistan. Students, teachers, journalists, and political workers are routinely targeted, with many abducted without formal charges or judicial proceedings, according to the TBP report.

Despite repeated assurances from the authorities, Balochistan’s security situation remains dismal. Local inhabitants and civil society contend that the government’s control over the region is almost non-existent in numerous locations, despite official assertions of stability, according to TBP.

The Baloch people have faced systematic oppression and torture through the misuse of several laws, particularly in regions like Pakistan’s Balochistan. Laws such as the Anti-Terrorism Act and special security ordinances have been used to justify arbitrary arrests, prolonged detention without trial, and denial of basic legal rights.

Under these laws, security forces often operate with broad powers and legal immunity, leading to widespread reports of enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and torture, including physical and psychological abuse.

Military courts and special tribunals frequently try Baloch activists without fair trial standards, further denying them justice. Additionally, media censorship laws suppress Baloch voices and conceal these abuses from the public, perpetuating a cycle of violence and impunity against the Baloch people. (ANI)