Peshawar: The recovery of six unidentified bodies from two locations along the Quetta-Karachi Highway in Mastung district of Pakistan’s Balochistan province has triggered fresh concerns over security and alleged human rights abuses in the region.
According to local reports, the bodies were recovered on Saturday. One was found near the Deputy Commissioner’s residence, while five others were discovered in the Datho Mor area along the national highway.
The five bodies reportedly lay beside the highway for several hours before police transported them to hospital under the supervision of City SHO Abdul Rauf Baloch. Authorities are carrying out identification procedures and completing the required legal formalities.
Local sources claimed that the bodies appeared to be several days old and that some showed signs of injuries or alleged torture. They also said the arrival of an ambulance was delayed, resulting in a delay in taking the bodies to hospital.
Police have not yet publicly established the identities of the deceased or announced a definitive cause or circumstances of death. Local residents have raised concerns that the victims could have been killed elsewhere before their bodies were allegedly dumped along the highway.
‘Kill and Dump’ Concerns
The incident comes against the backdrop of longstanding allegations in Balochistan involving enforced disappearances and alleged ‘kill and dump’ cases. Human rights activists and local organisations have accused Pakistani security and law-enforcement agencies of unlawful detentions and killings, allegations that Pakistani authorities have repeatedly rejected.
Mastung and surrounding areas have also experienced a tense security environment, with reports of attacks targeting Pakistani security forces and government installations. Pakistani authorities have blamed Baloch armed groups for a number of such attacks and have cited them as a reason for security operations in the region.
The discovery of six unidentified bodies has therefore renewed concerns among local residents and rights activists over security, disappearances and alleged human rights violations in Balochistan.
