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Woman dies after alleged abduction, torture by Pakistani forces in Balochistan
The woman and her mother were taken away unlawfully by the forces and tortured severely.
A young woman reportedly died after being tortured and abducted by the Pakistani forces in Panjgur. The woman, identified as Nazia Shafi, and her mother were taken away unlawfully by the forces and tortured severely, before being left in a critical condition, news agency ANI said citing local reports.
Nazia succumbed to her injuries hours after the incident, sparking outrage across Balochistan.
Sammi Deen Baloch, a prominent human rights activist from Balochistan, condemned the incident in the Pakistani province. Baloch took to social media platform X to describe the incident as a gross violation of human rights and moral principles.
“In Balochistan, oppression and barbarity have been made a part of state policy…There is no one to ask questions, no accountability,” Baloch said.
She further urged an independent and transparent investigation into the matter, and demanded that individuals responsible be brought to justice.
Baloch further called on international human rights organisations and women's rights movements to speak on the matter.
“And it is incumbent upon the international community, human rights organizations, and especially movements active for women's rights, to break their silence against these atrocities being inflicted on Baloch women and to raise their voices for the protection of and justice for women like Nazia Shafiq and Mah Jabeen Baloch,” the activist said.
Balochistan, Pakistan's largest province, has turned into a conflict-ridden one.
At least nine people were killed in a drone strike on Wednesday (October 29) in the Chiltan Mountain range near Quetta, the capital of Balochistan.
The drone reportedly struck the Hazarganji-Chiltan National Park, with eyewitnesses saying dozens of families were present when the explosions occurred, according to ANI.
The Pakistani army claimed the strike was targeted towards “terrorists”. However, witnesses said the victims were unarmed civilians who had gathered for a picnic, according to The Balochistan Post. “There were many civilians there enjoying their holiday when the drone hit,” one of them said, according to the ANI report.
