The Human Rights Council of Balochistan (HRCB) has issued a grim alert, revealing that as many as 50 people were killed in Balochistan during April by what it described as Pakistan Army-backed “death squads.” The toll, according to the council, is likely to rise significantly by the end of May.
In its latest report, the HRCB said that 43 people were killed in April by Pakistani forces and paramilitary-backed groups across the troubled province. In just the last 10 days, an additional seven civilians—including a journalist—were murdered in Awaran district alone.
A particularly disturbing episode occurred on the night of May 26–27 in Malar Machhi, Awaran, when Pakistani security personnel raided the village, allegedly conducting forced entries and firing indiscriminately after residents resisted illegal abductions. Two civilians—Naeem Baloch and his aunt Hoori—were shot dead, while Naeem’s mother, Dadi Baloch, sustained critical injuries. Despite her condition, she was denied immediate medical attention and was only shifted to a hospital the following morning.
The Baloch family had previously suffered years of persecution. In 2015, an aerial bombardment claimed the lives of seven relatives. Naeem himself was forcibly disappeared in 2023, and Dadi had been detained previously in 2015. A day after the recent raid, a Pakistan-backed death squad reportedly returned and attempted to abduct Dadi’s seven-year-old son.
In another chilling incident, a polio-affected student named Mahjabeen Baloch was abducted from the Civil Hospital Hostel in Quetta by Pakistani police and plainclothes officers during the early hours of May 31. Her brother, Younus, was also abducted five days earlier from their home in Besima, Washuk district.
The HRCB condemned these actions and demanded the immediate release of all abducted individuals. “If there are charges, the accused must be produced in a court of law,” it said in a statement.
The council also mourned the assassination of veteran journalist Abdul Latif Baloch, who was shot dead in his sleep on May 24 at his residence in Mashkay, Awaran. Latif, who served as the bureau chief of Daily Intekhab for over 30 years, was known for his fearless reporting and had previously been abducted twice by Pakistani security forces. The HRCB blamed the military establishment for orchestrating his murder and targeting his family.
“This pattern of violence reflects the state’s systematic campaign to silence journalists and political activists in Balochistan,” the council said, urging the international community to act immediately and ensure justice for the victims.
The HRCB had previously reported a sharp rise in the repression of political campaigners, journalists, human rights defenders, and families of missing persons. This crackdown has included violent raids on the homes of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) members, arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, detentions under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, and fabricated legal charges.
As Balochistan continues to reel under state-sponsored violence, human rights groups are demanding urgent global attention and accountability for the victims of what they describe as a brutal and expanding campaign of terror.
