Quetta, Dec 5 (IANS) Human rights body Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) on Friday condemned the extrajudicial killing of another youth by Pakistani forces in Balochistan.
The latest act of brutality comes against the backdrop of a continuing cycle of persecution marked by a surge in extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and torture across the province.
According to the BYC, the bullet-riddled body of Abdul Wahab was discovered in the Pull Abad area of Panjgur district in the province on December 4, nearly a month after his enforced disappearance by Pakistan-backed death squads.
Citing local sources, the rights body stated that 33-year-old Wahab belonged to a poor family and worked as a driver to support his household.
“The continuation of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances reflects the expanding pattern of the ‘kill and dump’ policy and escalating state violence carried out by Pakistani intelligence agencies and their sponsored militia groups,” the BYC stated.
On Thursday, condemning the “illegal arrest” of Balach Khan Bali, a lecturer at the University of Turbat in Balochistan, the Baloch Women Forum (BWF) called it an attempt to imprison Baloch academia, literature and digitalisation.
Calling for Balach Bali’s unconditional, immediate and safe release without a delay, the BWF said, "Balochistan has become a battlefield where indigenous masses are harassed and questioned about their societal affiliation after every second walk."
"Enforced disappearances, extrajudicial murders, harassment and threats have become common practices used by the security forces to suppress not only the indigenous voices but also academics, literati, journalists, students, lawyers and people from every other walk of life," it added.
The BWF stated that Balochistan has already been suffering from limited resources despite its territorial significance. However, it said, instead of providing the indigenous people with enough resources in education, Pakistan’s notorious institutions are working to eliminate the limited resources and suppress those who strive to make a change with the available tools.
"Balach Bali’s disappearance is the continuation of the same series of practices enjoyed by the state institutions. We discourage the state and its institutions from taking away such national assets who have been academically and linguistically putting their utmost best to promote the indigenous language and digitalise it," the BWF stated.
"The classroom is only a learning room when the teachers and students are safe and secure... We ask for Bali’s unconditional, immediate and safe release without a delay," it added.
--IANS
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