Balochistan unrest: Why teacher’s killing reignites outrage over Pakistan-backed ‘death squads’ and disappearances | Today’s news
The killing of a teacher in Pakistan’s Balochistan province has sparked fresh protests, with residents and rights activists accusing authorities of shielding those responsible and demanding accountability for alleged state-backed armed groups and enforced disappearances.
Family members and residents staged a demonstration outside the Pasni Press Club following the death of Parvez Mazar, an Arabic teacher at Babbar Shor Government High School.
The protesters demanded the immediate arrest of the suspects and warned that they would block the strategically important Makran coastal highway if the authorities did not act, according to an ANI report citing The Balochistan Post.
The demonstration comes amid ongoing protests by families of missing persons in Balochistan, where allegations of enforced disappearances, torture and extrajudicial executions have fueled long-standing anger over human rights and accountability.
Balochistan teacher killed: What happened to Parvez Mazar?
According to The Balochistan Post, Mazar was found dead in Pasni a day after he was allegedly taken in front of his family.
Relatives claimed members of an armed group they described as a state-backed “death squad” kidnapped the teacher and took him to a private facility where he was allegedly tortured and killed.
The protesters alleged that the people named in the First Information Report (FIR) were being protected by Pakistani security forces and demanded that the suspects be handed over to the police for trial, according to ANI.
Addressing the rally, the protesters urged state institutions to crack down on armed groups accused of kidnapping, torturing and killing civilians, allegedly operating under the protection of state agencies, The Balochistan Post reported.
What are the ‘death squads’ in Balochistan?
The term “death squads” is often used by Baloch rights organizations and activists to describe armed groups they claim receive support or protection from Pakistani state institutions.
These groups have been accused of targeting civilians, political activists and human rights defenders in Balochistan.
Rights campaigners have repeatedly raised concerns about alleged links between these groups and security agencies, particularly in cases of kidnappings and killings.
The allegations are part of a wider human rights crisis in the province.
Pakistani authorities have faced ongoing criticism from local activists and international human rights organizations over allegations of abuses by security personnel.
Competing accusations and a lack of accountability in individual cases have deepened mistrust between sections of the local population and the state.
Missing persons in Balochistan: Families continue sit-in in Quetta
Mazar’s killing comes as families of the missing persons continue a long sit-in outside the Quetta Press Club, demanding information about relatives they say have been forcibly disappeared.
The Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) said a government commission has formally registered another case of disappearance, according to The Balochistan Post as quoted by ANI.
Among those who joined the demonstration were the father and brother of Kamran Khan, who was reportedly detained by Pakistani security forces on April 1 from Killi Kashmirabad on Qambrani Road in Quetta and taken to an undisclosed location.
His family said the prolonged uncertainty about his whereabouts had caused severe psychological distress.
Another family is looking for answers to an alleged disappearance
The protest camp also received Khan Muhammad, whose son, Muhammad Riaz Satakzai, was allegedly forcibly disappeared on May 6 from a Border Force check post at Daghari Cross, the report said.
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Khan Muhammad said police and senior officials had recorded his statement as directed by the commission, but the family had received no explanation for the alleged detention or information about his son’s whereabouts.
Nasrullah Baloch urged the authorities to retrieve Kamran, Riaz and other missing persons.
Why enforced disappearances remain a major human rights concern
Enforced disappearances have remained one of the most persistent human rights concerns in Balochistan.
Activists and families accuse Pakistan’s security forces and intelligence services of detaining students, activists, academics and journalists suspected of dissent or links to separatist movements, often without disclosing their whereabouts.
The families of the missing have repeatedly asked the authorities to bring their relatives to court or provide credible information about their fate.
Human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, and United Nations experts have expressed concern over the alleged abuses and the need for accountability in Pakistan.
