Balochistan: Mother of slain teen in Mastung demands justice amid threats

Mastung [Pakistan], August 16 : A mother protesting the killing of her teenage son by Pakistani security forces in Balochistan's Mastung district has alleged that police threatened her with arrest or enforced disappearance, The Balochistan Post reported.

According to the outlet, her 17-year-old son, Syed Ehsan Shah, was shot dead by Frontier Corps (FC) personnel at the Lak Pass Tunnel checkpoint on June 3. Since August 5, she has been staging a sit-in outside the Quetta Press Club, demanding justice and accountability.

In a video message cited by The Balochistan Post, she claimed that a Deputy Superintendent of Police warned her to end the protest or face detention or abduction. She also accused Mastung police of intimidating her family during attempts to register a case.

The publication added that, although a murder case against unidentified FC personnel was registered on court orders, the family maintains that the accused are being shielded by authorities and remain free.

As highlighted by The Balochistan Post, the grieving mother appealed to political parties and human rights organisations for support, declaring that she would not be silenced by threats and would continue her protest until those responsible are punished.

Earlier, The Balochistan Post noted that the victim's father, Arif Shah, said he had repeatedly held press conferences in Quetta and Mastung and formally approached the local administration to demand a case against the perpetrators. Despite this, no substantive action was taken. He added that it was only after a court directive that a case was lodged against unidentified personnel, though the family says no real progress has followed.

The outlet further stated that the victim's mother accused authorities of harassment rather than justice. She alleged her husband had been threatened with both violence and dismissal from his job if he pursued a First Information Report (FIR).

Quoting the mother, The Balochistan Post reported that she demanded that those responsible for her son's killing be produced before a court. She emphasised that her son was an innocent ninth-grade student and questioned why he was targeted, linking the case to a wider pattern of abuses faced by the Baloch community.

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