Paank condemns extrajudicial killing of Ghous Bakhsh in Balochistan, urges international probe into state violence

Awaran [Pakistan], May 27 (ANI): Paank vehemently denounced the extrajudicial killing of Ghous Bakhsh, a resident of Malar Kahn in the Awaran district of Pakistan’s Balochistan.

Paank shared details regarding the incident on May 25. In a post on X, Paank said that Ghous Bakhsh was called to a military camp in Malar, where he was unlawfully detained and subsequently went missing. His lifeless body, riddled with bullets, was found the next morning, in the Vahli area of Malar on May 26, constituting a serious breach of human rights and international law.

“This incident is the third reported extrajudicial killing in the Malar area within a week, highlighting an alarming escalation of state-sponsored violence in Awaran. Just days earlier, on May 17, Pakistani military personnel forcibly abducted Levies Sepai Younus Rasool from his home in Malar Bangul Bazar without a warrant, subjecting his family to torture and intimidation. On May 20, Sajid Baloch, son of Nasir Baloch, was abducted from Gushanag Kolwah in Awaran, and his body, showing signs of severe abuse, was found the next day. Additionally, on May 2, shopkeeper Rajid Baloch was killed by state-backed operatives near the Druski River, close to military facilities, further underscoring the climate of fear and impunity in the region", Paank posted on X.

Paank highlighted that these murders are part of a systematic trend of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings aimed at civilians, activists, and community leaders in Balochistan, justified under the guise of national security.

Such actions breach Pakistan’s constitutional duties and its international obligations as per the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), particularly Articles 6 (right to life), 7 (prohibition of torture), and 9 (liberty and security of person), as referenced in Paank’s statement.

Paank has urged the United Nations, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and other international human rights organisations to demand that the Pakistani government conduct an immediate, transparent, and impartial investigation into the murder of Ghous Bakhsh and other recent extrajudicial killings in Awaran.

Paank has insisted on holding the perpetrators accountable, including those in positions of power, and called for justice for the families of the victims. The Baloch people’s pursuit of dignity and self-determination cannot be suppressed through acts of violence. Paank expressed solidarity with the affected families and will persist in documenting and exposing these serious human rights violations. (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)

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