Baloch youth killed in indiscriminate firing by Pakistani forces

Quetta, July 19 (IANS) People staged a sit-in protest, blocking a road, after a Baloch youth was killed in an indiscriminate firing by Pakistan's Frontier Corps (FC) personnel in Nokundi city of Balochistan, the human rights organisation Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) said on Saturday.

This incident occurred amid an increasing wave of human rights violations across the province.

The BYC mentioned that Shadir Mengal died on the spot during the firing. It stated that Shadir Mengal was an ordinary labourer, the sole breadwinner for his family.

The family members and relatives of the deceased have placed his body on the road and started a protest sit-in, demanding that "legal action be taken against the responsible FC personnel," and warned to continue the sit-in until justice is delivered.

"In recent years, numerous young men have been targeted by FC personnel's firing. Previously, Hayat Baloch and Shoaib Baloch in Turbat, Ehsan Baloch in Mastung, Hameedullah Baloch in Chaghi, and Ehtisham Baloch in Panjgur, along with hundreds of other youths, have been martyred in indiscriminate firing without any crime," read a statement issued by the BYC.

"In all these incidents, the victims' families have not received justice to this day. This unrestrained violence by the FC is part of a plan for Baloch genocide. State institutions are not only providing protection to the killers but are also refusing accountability at every level," the BYC added.

Additionally, the Nokundi residents called on various human rights organisations and journalists to join the "sit-in and raise their voices against state oppression."

Meanwhile, adding to the series of forced disappearances, Baloch National Movement's Human Rights Department, Paank, presented statistics of the cases from July 5 to July 17.

Paank stated that in the span of these days, five people from across Balochistan were made victims of forced disappearance at the hands of the Pakistani forces.

"The victims include Adnan Baloch from Kharan, Haider Baloch from Gwadar, Raza Muhammad from Awaran, Nadeem Baloch, and Waris Haider from Kech. These incidents highlight a disturbing pattern of extrajudicial abductions, targeting civilians without due process," stated Paank.

The human rights organisation strongly condemned the "continued enforced disappearances and calls on the international community to hold Pakistan accountable for these gross violations of human rights."

--IANS

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