Quetta, July 22 (IANS) A 10-year-old child was forcibly disappeared by Pakistani army personnel after being summoned to a Pakistani military camp at Jahoo Zeelag in Balochistan, a human rights group said on Tuesday.
Paank, Baloch National Movement’s Human Rights Department, also accused Pakistani security forces of “committing severe human rights violations in Balochistan, particularly targeting children” during military operations.
Additionally, the human rights organisation also accused Pakistan’s Frontier Corps (FC) of killing another 12-year-old child in Kolwah district of the province.
Paank mentioned that on July 20, 10-year-old Hasil Baloch became the latest victim of enforced disappearance, which has sparked serious concern about his safety.
“Disturbingly, just days earlier, on July 16, his cousin Hameed Baloch was also taken from his home. His lifeless, bullet-riddled body was recovered from the same area on July 21, raising grave concerns for Hasil’s safety. The enforced disappearance of a minor, especially in light of the extrajudicial killing of his cousin, reflects a horrifying pattern of state violence in Balochistan,” read a statement issued by the human rights body.
It strongly condemned the abduction of Hasil Baloch and expressed deep concern over the “increasing trend of targeting children in military operations.”
The rights body emphasised that “the involvement of minors in enforced disappearances is a grave violation of international human rights and humanitarian law.”
Paank demanded the immediate and safe recovery of Hasil Baloch.
Additionally, the human rights body also condemned the extrajudicial killing of 12-year-old Qamber Aslam by Pakistani forces on July 18 in Kolwah district.
The rights body stated that Qamber Aslam, an agricultural labourer working at a tube well, was fatally shot in the chest by an FC patrol team while heading to plant onions in his fields.
“This tragic incident, which has left the entire family in mourning, underscores a disturbing pattern of violence against civilians in Balochistan. Paank is deeply concerned by this brutal act, which reflects a broader trend of impunity and disregard for human life in the region. The targeting of an unarmed child highlights the urgent need for accountability and justice,” the human rights organisation noted.
Paank called on the Pakistani authorities to conduct an immediate, impartial, and transparent investigation into Qamber’s killing, ensuring that those responsible are brought to justice. It also urged the government to take concrete steps to protect civilians, particularly vulnerable children, in Balochistan.
The rights body further urged the international community to speak out against Pakistan’s “brutal repression” in Balochistan and address the escalating human rights violations in the region and support the Baloch people’s right to safety and dignity.
–IANS
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