Balochistan: Enforced disappearance victim executed in targeted strike by security forces

Balochistan [Pakistan], May 8 : Ehsan Shoukat, a 25-year-old from Kolahoo in the Tump area of Kech district, was reportedly killed in a targeted operation carried out by Military Intelligence (MI) personnel.

Shoukat, who had previously been a victim of enforced disappearance, is believed to have been extrajudicially executed by law enforcement agencies.

https://x.com/BalochYakjehtiC/status/1920176719455269034

In a post on X, Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) stated," Ehsan was previously subjected to enforced disappearance at the hands of Pakistan's Frontier Corps (FC), during which he endured severe torture and inhumane treatment. Though he was eventually released, his life remained under constant threat."

According to BYC, Ehsan operated a small medical clinic, assisting his father, Shoukat, by providing medicines to patients in the community. Although he had returned to a peaceful and productive life, he was deliberately targeted and killed.

His assassination highlights a troubling trend in Balochistan, where individuals previously subjected to enforced disappearances are being systematically pursued and eliminated.

BYC highlighted," the case of Ehsan is not an isolated incident. In recent weeks, others such as Mairaj Baloch, Kareem Baloch, and Nabeel Baloch, also from Tump, were similarly killed in targeted attacks. The targeting of students, teachers, healthcare workers, and civilians, regardless of their socio-economic or professional background, demonstrates the scale of impunity granted to state-backed forces and death squads operating in the region."

Throughout Balochistan, the Pakistani state has implemented a hardline approach characterised by rampant enforced disappearances, custodial torture, and extrajudicial killings. This sustained campaign of intimidation and violence appears aimed at suppressing dissent and retaliating against families who continue to seek justice.

BYC urged the international organisations and stated," We, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, urgently call upon the United Nations, international human rights organizations, and all defenders of justice and dignity to: Investigate the targeted killings of previously disappeared individuals like Ehsan Shoukat and Hold the Pakistani state accountable for its systematic human rights violations in Balochistan."

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