Pakistani forces extrajudicially kill two more civilians in Balochistan

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Quetta, Feb 26 (IANS) Another two civilians were extrajudicially killed by Pakistani forces in Balochistan, a leading human rights organisation said on Thursday.

The latest incidents come against the backdrop of a growing wave of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances across the province.

Human rights body Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) revealed that the tortured and lifeless body of Nasram Baloch was found dumped on Thursday in the Makseen Nadi area of the province. He had been subjected to enforced disappearance for one and a half years, and his body bore clear signs of severe abuse.

According to the rights body, Nasram, a resident of the Buleda region in Kech district, was initially forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces on October 12, 2023 and was released on June 13, 2024, following protests by his family members.

During his detention, he suffered torture and inhumane treatment, leaving him with hepatitis and lasting physical harm.

However, a few months later, on August 8 2024, Nasram was again forcibly disappeared from his home in Buleda when armed men stormed the house, tortured his mother and sister, and took him away.

Highlighting the atrocities against civilians in Balochistan, the BYC stated that the mutilated body of Awais Baloch was dumped at Civil Hospital in Panjgur district on February 24, a day after being forcibly disappeared.

The rights body stated that Awais, a student, was forcibly disappeared from his home in Panjgur on February 23.

“This is not an isolated incident; it is part of a painful pattern of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. When laws are broken by those meant to protect people, when students are silenced instead of heard, it exposes a system built on fear rather than justice,” the BYC stated.

“But oppression cannot erase a people’s identity. Every injustice strengthens the resolve for dignity and truth. The voices of Baloch mothers, students, and families will not be buried with the bodies of their loved ones,” it added.

Condemning the extrajudicial killings, the BYC called upon the international community, including the United Nations, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International, to urgently investigate enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Balochistan carried out by the Pakistani forces.

–IANS

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Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel reviews border districts’ preparedness

Gandhinagar, May 10 (IANS) Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel held a high-level video conference on Saturday to assess the state’s preparedness, particularly in the border districts, and assured citizens that the government has adequate stockpiles of essential supplies, medicines, and fuel.

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SC grants bail to man convicted of killing his father

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A Bench of Justices Manoj Misra and Ujjal Bhuyan passed the order while hearing the petitioner’s special leave petition (SLP) challenging his conviction.

“Having regard to the facts of the case and the period of sentence already undergone, we deem it appropriate to suspend the sentence awarded by the High Court during the pendency of this appeal,” the apex court observed.

The case arose from an incident in which the appellant – Vijay Thakur– allegedly assaulted his father with a wooden stick, leading to his death. The trial court had convicted him under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

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Appearing for the petitioner, senior advocate Sonia Mathur argued that the accused had already served almost four years and eleven months of his sentence and sought suspension of the remaining period pending appeal.

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