Paank demands international probe into human rights abuses in Balochistan
Gwadar [Pakistan], May 13 (ANI): The human rights department of Baloch National Movement, Paank has demanded an urgent international investigation into what it describes as systematic human rights abuses in Balochistan, following the targeted killing of Baloch civilian Sufi Tariq Kalmati. The killing, which occurred between the night of May 11 and 12, 2025, in Jimuri, District Gwadar, is being described by Paank as an extrajudicial execution carried out by Pakistan Army personnel and intelligence operatives.
In a strongly worded post on X, Paank highlighted the broader issue of state-backed extortion and repression. According to the statement, Sufi Tariq, the son of Ibrahim Kalmati, was reportedly abducted by uniformed personnel from the residence of Yaqub Kalmati, where family members were confined to a room during the operation. His body was discovered the next morning in Palliri, bearing gunshot wounds--a chilling confirmation of a pattern long decried by human rights defenders.
Paank has detailed ongoing harassment faced by the Kalmati family due to their involvement in independent maritime trade. According to Paank, prior incidents include enforced disappearances, mortar shelling, and landmine attacks, one of which left family member Sadiq Kalmati critically injured. According to Paank, such attacks are part of a calculated strategy by state forces to extort money from local traders and undermine economically independent Baloch communities.
The group argued that these actions, often justified under the label of "counter-insurgency" or "security protocols," are in reality tools of repression and profiteering, targeting civilians who do not comply with the military's control over trade and employment. Paank issued a direct call to the international community to take urgent notice. Paank reiterated its commitment to continue documenting and exposing human rights violations in Balochistan, urging the international community not to remain silent in the face of systemic violence and injustice.
Balochistan faces ongoing human rights violations, including enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and suppression of dissent. Security forces and insurgent groups are both accused of abuses. Civilians often suffer amid conflict, with limited media access and accountability. International concern grows, but effective intervention and justice remain elusive for many victims. (ANI)
(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)
