Balochistan [Pakistan], April 20 : The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) reportedly killed five individuals in what it described as an intelligence-based operation in Balochistan's Duki district, as reported by The Balochistan Post.
However, the identification of two of the deceased as Baloch missing persons has sparked serious concerns about the authenticity and legitimacy of the encounter.
One of the individuals killed, Muhammad Deen Marri, was reportedly forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces from Balochistan's Harnai district in December 2024. His case had gained attention on January 19, 2025, when human rights activists and social media users highlighted his disappearance and demanded his safe return. Now, nearly four months later, the CTD has claimed he was killed in a recent operation, prompting allegations of a staged encounter, as cited by The Balochistan Post.
According to The Balochistan Post, the second victim identified was Ejaz, son of Khuda Bakhsh, a resident of Mangochar in Kalat district. According to his family, Ejaz was allegedly detained by Pakistani forces on April 12, 2025, along with his companion Zaid, son of Abid Khan, a resident of Saryab, Quetta. Both men were reported missing after the incident. On April 16, Ejaz's family informed the media that he had been forcibly disappeared. On Saturday, they recognised his body in the photographs released following the CTD operation.
According to The Balochistan Post, human rights groups, political activists, and members of civil society have vehemently condemned the incident, describing it as part of the state's ongoing pattern of extrajudicial killings in Balochistan. Activists assert that these "fake encounters" typically involve individuals who have been forcibly disappeared, only to be killed later and falsely portrayed as militants in fabricated shootouts.
Rights organisations have once again condemned these incidents as serious breaches of basic human rights and demanded independent investigations into the actions of the CTD.
The identities of the other three individuals killed in the same operation have not yet been verified. However, rights groups continue to express concern that they may also be victims of enforced disappearances.
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