14 July,2025 06:55 PM IST | Balochistan | mid-day online correspondent
Karim Jan, previously was tortured for 8 months in 2023, his family claimed. File Photo.
A civilian from Mashkay in Balochistan's Awaran district, identified as Karim Jan, son of Azeem, has reportedly died in the custody of Pakistani security forces. This comes after months of enforced disappearance and alleged torture, reported by The Balochistan Post.
According to The Balochistan Post, Karim Jan was summoned by Pakistani military personnel to a camp in Mashkay on February 22. He was not seen again after that. However, nearly five months later, on July 12, his body was handed over to his family. Both family members and local sources have confirmed that the corpse bore visible signs of torture, suggesting that his death was a result of custodial abuse, reported news agency ANI.
According to reports, this was not Karim Jan's first encounter with security forces. The Balochistan Post highlighted that he had been previously detained in 2023, allegedly tortured for eight months before his release. His family now describes this second arrest and subsequent death as a case of "extrajudicial killing" and "custodial torture."
Moreover, human rights activists, as per The Balochistan Post, assert that Karim Jan's killing is not an isolated incident but part of a deeply disturbing and ongoing pattern of state violence in Balochistan. Enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, and deaths in custody are frequently reported, yet accountability for these actions remains largely non-existent, according to ANI.
The Balochistan Post has reported similar recent incidents. In one case, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) alleged that Azmat Rind, a resident of Naseerabad, was tortured to death in custody after being forcibly disappeared on 5th June. While, his body was reportedly buried secretly by authorities without his family's notification.
In another instance, Nawab Noor Bakhsh from Kolwah reportedly died in a military camp, with his body later recovered bearing signs of torture.
These repeated tragedies have reignited calls for independent and impartial investigations into the conduct of Pakistani security forces in Balochistan. Human rights organisations argue that these actions amount to a systematic campaign of repression against the Baloch people and demand urgent international attention.
Moreover separately, Baloch insurgents shot and killed nine passengers from Punjab after checking their identification cards and offloading them from two passenger buses in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, authorities stated on Friday. The incident took place late on Thursday on the national highway in the Sur-Dakai area of Zhob district, according to Zhob Assistant Commissioner Naveed Alam.
The Balochistan Liberation Front - a banned outfit known for attacking security forces - has claimed responsibility for this attack.
(With inputs from ANI)
