Rights body condemns extrajudicial killing of Baloch activist by Pakistani forces

Quetta, Sep 25 (IANS) A leading human rights organisation on Thursday strongly condemned the extrajudicial killing of political activist and former Chairman of the Baloch Students Organisation (BSO) Zubair Baloch at the hands of Pakistani forces in Dalbandin city of Balochistan.

Several reports suggest that the Pakistani Army and state-backed death squads carried out a heavy assault on Zubair's residence, resulting in his death.

The horrific incident drew scathing criticism from people and human rights organisations across the world.

The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) mentioned that Zubair was a political activist, former chairman of BSO, a lawyer, and a capable political voice who always stood firm against human rights violations, enforced disappearances, and violations of the people's basic rights in Balochistan.

The rights body described the brutal incident as a continuation of the Baloch genocide policy and the extreme form of Pakistan's oppression and brutality against Baloch political activists.

"This tragic incident is a link in the ongoing chain of state oppression and barbarism in Balochistan, which has made it clear that the state is accelerating its policy of silencing political voices through the force of the gun instead of listening to them. In the past few years, Balochistan has been turned into a slaughterhouse," read a statement issued by the BYC.

It further said that the enforced disappearances of political activists, false cases against them, harassment, and extrajudicial killings "have become routine".

"In just one week, four individuals were killed in fake encounters, three people were brought back after enforced disappearance in the form of mutilated bodies, and now a claim of a fake encounter is being made to cover up Zubair Baloch's extrajudicial killing," the statement added.

The BYC urged the Baloch people not to remain silent about the oppression being inflicted upon them by the Pakistani authorities.

It added that silence in the face of oppression and atrocities is tantamount to collective death, noting that the state's desire is also that the Baloch people remain silent on this oppression.

Condemning the brutal killing of Zubair, Taran Chand, President of Baloch American Congress, said that the Pakistani military and state institutions cannot tolerate the peaceful struggle of Baloch activists and seek to force them to abandon their cause.

Taking to X, the Baloch leader said, "By storming his home in Dalbandin, Balochistan, and brutally murdering him, Pakistani military agencies have shown that they will target and massacre Baloch political activists wherever they are at home, on the road, in the market, or in the office."

--IANS

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