Quetta, Feb 28 (IANS) The killing of 27 forcibly disappeared Baloch people at the hands of Pakistani forces earlier this month during the second phase of 'Operation Herof' is not an isolated incident, but part of a broader pattern that has persisted for more than a decade in Balochistan, according to a recent report.
According to a report in Balochistan Post, following the launch of the second phase of armed resistance 'Operation Herof' on January 31 by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) against Pakistani forces, Balochistan and Sindh police killed 27 disappeared persons in Karachi, Barkhan, Panjgur and Quetta.
The authorities declared them to be armed resistance fighters, despite one among them, named Hamdan Baloch, being officially produced before the Sindh High Court and scheduled to appear in court on the day he was killed, the report states.
It further mentioned that the extrajudicial killing of 27 forcibly disappeared persons during the armed operation is not an isolated incident, but part of a broader pattern that has persisted for more than a decade in Balochistan.
This pattern, adopted by rogue nation Pakistan, continues to leave the Baloch people in distress and raises concerns of grave human rights violations. Pakistani army and authorities have long carried out the systematic killing of Baloch youth.
The killings escalate each time Baloch armed groups fighting for Balochistan's independence inflict losses on the Pakistani military, with security agencies often claiming that previously disappeared persons were killed in armed clashes, highlighting a pattern of extrajudicial killings, local media reported.
Reports suggest that with media ban and state-imposed restrictions in Balochistan, only a few incidents reach the outside world, while the province continues to face a serious humanitarian crisis.
Balochistan has long fought against the Pakistani repression and demanded a free and independent nation, away from Islamabad's exploitation.
"Pakistan's powerful institutions appear to believe that enforced disappearances, state repression, collective punishment, and custodial killings can suppress the Baloch insurgency. However, the ground realities in Balochistan suggest that such policies are further weakening the relationship between Balochistan and Pakistan," The Balochistan Post report read.
Meanwhile, the Human Rights Council of Balochistan (HRCB) on Friday expressed grave concern over the alarming increase in violence across Balochistan, perpetrated both by Pakistani forces and non-state actors.
The rights body revealed that on February 25, unidentified armed men carried out a brutal attack in the Minaz area of Kech district, resulting in the killing of six people and injuring three others, including women and children.
Citing information, the HRCB stated that the assailants reportedly fired mortar shells at a home before opening heavy gunfire on those inside. The attackers also set three vehicles parked at the residence on fire.
"The killing of innocent civilians, particularly women and children, constitutes a grave violation of fundamental human rights and humanitarian principles. No political objective, or security justification can legitimise such acts," the HRCB stated
The rights body further noted that the continuing pattern of enforced disappearances, custodial killings, and collective punishment by Pakistani forces has exacerbated tensions and contributed to a cycle of violence and retaliation.
Calling for an immediate, independent, impartial, and transparent investigation into this incident, the HRCB said, "All perpetrators, regardless of affiliation, must be identified and held accountable under the law. The protection of civilians must remain paramount, and all actions taken by state authorities must comply with constitutional safeguards and international human rights obligations."
--IANS
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