Quetta, April 2 (IANS) At least three members of a Baloch family, including a child, were killed in mortar fire by Pakistani forces in Balochistan, according to leading human rights organisations.
Paank, the Baloch National Movement’s Human Rights Department, mentioned that the tragic incident occurred on the evening of March 31 in the Bungul Bazar area of Awaran district.
It added that Pakistani security forces deployed heavy weaponry, including mortar shelling, in areas close to civilian populations following an attack on a nearby military camp carried out by Baloch armed groups.
During this exchange, one mortar shell struck a residential house in Bungul Bazar, killing three members of the same family on the spot.
The deceased were identified as 60-year-old Muhammad Umar, 57-year-old Faiza, and their daughter, Mahzaib Baloch, a fifth-grade student.
Condemning the incident, the Baloch Voice for Justice (BVJ) said, “The incident highlights potential violations of international humanitarian law, particularly the principles of distinction and proportionality, which obligate all parties to protect civilians and civilian objects. The use of indirect fire in populated areas significantly increases the risk of indiscriminate harm and demands strict scrutiny.”
The rights body called for an immediate, independent, and transparent investigation into this incident, stressing that those responsible must be held accountable under applicable legal frameworks.
Meanwhile, Paank highlighted the extrajudicial killings of four civilians and enforced disappearances of three others by Pakistani forces.
Citing information, the rights body stated that the bullet-riddled body of 18-year-old student Ghulam Qadir, along with two other individuals, was discovered on the coastal Palleri Link Road in the Gwadar district of Balochistan.
“The circumstances surrounding the discovery indicate a clear case of extrajudicial execution. The recovery of multiple bodies at once further raises concerns about systematic targeting and coordinated acts of violence,” Paank stated.
The rights body also strongly condemned the brutal extrajudicial killing of Faraz Baloch, a resident of the Duzap area in the Panjgur district of the province, on March 28, by Pakistan-backed death squads.
Citing verified information, Paank revealed that Faraz was killed when members of the death squad arrived at his residence and attempted to forcibly abduct him.
It added that Faraz tried to escape the unlawful detention, during which he was shot and sustained critical injuries. He was reportedly shot again while wounded, resulting in his death on the spot.
Highlighting the atrocities against civilians across Balochistan, the rights body said that another civilian, Zafar Baloch, was abducted by personnel of Pakistan’s Frontier Corps military intelligence agencies on March 28 in Awaran.
Since his abduction, it said, the whereabouts of Zafar remain unknown, leaving his family in a “state of severe distress and uncertainty”.
Expressing concern over the alarming incidents of enforced disappearances, Paank further revealed that two young men, 20-year-old Fahad Baloch and 31-year-old Sharoz Qayoum, were abducted by Pakistani security forces in separate operations last month.
Balochistan continues to reel under relentless atrocities by the Pakistani forces, marked by enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings of Baloch civilians at an unprecedented level.
–IANS
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