Balochistan deaths: Strike held over dismembered Panjgur bodies

Nationalist parties say three people were kidnapped and killed in illegal detention in Wadh area of Khuzdar

QUETTA:

Outrage grew in Balochistan on Thursday over the shocking discovery of human remains in two gunny sacks near a seasonal river in the troubled Panjgur district a day earlier, spilling into a complete transport and business strike in different parts of the province.

The bodies were found on Wednesday near Rakshaan Nadi in the province’s western Panjgur district when some passersby spotted the sacks and informed the police. Nationalist party workers believe the remains belong to Baloch political workers.



Business and trade activities in Panjgur, Gwadar, Kech, Wadh, Kharan and other townships of Balochistan came to a standstill. Strict security measures were in place to thwart the possibility of any untoward incident.

The strike was called by the Baloch Warna Movement and Baloch National Front against the recovery of the dead in Khuzdar, Panjgur, Awaran and Kech districts. Activists of nationalist parties claim that three people were kidnapped and killed in illegal detention in Wadh area of Khuzdar.

The Baloch nationalist parties said that the government functionaries were responsible for the killings. Balochistan National Party said that three people killed in an encounter in Khuzdar were innocent and had gone missing a month ago.

‘Bodies a year old’

“There were human bones inside the bags which we later shifted to state-run hospital for medical examination,” a police officer said. “The bodies are around a year old. We do not have a forensic department and DNA samples will be sent to Islamabad or Lahore to ascertain the identities of the bodies,” he said.

Police routinely send samples of human remains found in different parts of Balochistan to forensic labs in Lahore and Karachi, but the tests have yet to be returned. While officials say around 20 bodies have been found in this year alone, Voice for Baloch Missing Persons says more than 2,000 bodies found in the province over the last eight years belong to Baloch political activists.

The organisation accuses security forces of killing and dumping the bodies. How­ever, security forces and the Home Department deny all charges and say they are investigating the matter. In a separate incident, a person identified as Rehmatullah Lal Mohammed was shot dead in Panchekana area of Panjgur. The motive behind the murder could not be known.

Targeted killings and clashes between security forces and separatists often take place in Panjgur and in recent months, clashes were also reported between rival pro- and anti-government groups here.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 26^th, 2014.