Pakistan's security forces accused of executing former enforced disappearance victim

Tump [Pakistan], May 9 (ANI): A targeted attack in Tump in Pakistan's Kech district on May 4 had claimed the life of 25-year-old Ehsan Shoukat -- yet another chilling example of Pakistan's violent campaign against Baloch civilians.

According to the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, the assassination was carried out by operatives of Military Intelligence (MI), part of a growing pattern of extrajudicial executions in the region.

Ehsan, a resident of Kolahoo, had earlier been abducted by Pakistan's Frontier Corps (FC) and forcibly disappeared -- a method routinely used to intimidate and silence dissent. As reported by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, he was subjected to brutal torture and degrading treatment during his illegal detention. Though eventually released, he remained under constant threat -- a fate tragically common in Balochistan.

After returning home, Ehsan attempted to lead a peaceful life, helping his father, Dr. Shoukat, by distributing medical supplies to the local community. Still, he was deliberately targeted and gunned down. As per the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, his only crime was surviving Pakistan's detention cells -- a death sentence in itself under the current climate of impunity.

Ehsan's killing is not an isolated case. As noted by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, others like Mairaj Baloch, Kareem Baloch, and Nabeel Baloch -- all from the same area -- have been killed in similar attacks in recent weeks. The message is clear: no Baloch is safe, regardless of profession or background.

Pakistan's approach in Balochistan, according to the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, is one of systematic state repression. Enforced disappearances, custodial torture, and assassinations have become common tools to silence voices demanding justice and autonomy.

The Baloch Yakjehti Committee, in a post on X, urged the United Nations and international human rights defenders to investigate these crimes and hold Pakistan accountable. As emphasised by the Committee, the world's silence only emboldens the perpetrators of Balochistan's suffering. (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)