World

Teacher’s Death in Balochistan Sparks Protests Over Alleged State‑Backed ‘Death Squads’

By Bhanu Pratap

The murder of Parvez Mazar, an Arabic teacher at Government High School Babbar Shor in Pasni, Balochistan, has ignited new protests. Family members and local residents gathered outside the Pasni Press Club to demand the immediate arrest of those accused of taking Mazar away in front of his family, a day before he was found dead. Protesters claim that an armed group, described by relatives as a state‑backed “death squad,” abducted Mazar, tortured him in a private facility, and killed him. They allege that the suspects named in the first information report (FIR) are being protected by Pakistani security forces and call for their handover to the police for legal proceedings.

The demonstration occurs amid ongoing sit‑ins by families of missing persons in Balochistan. Activists accuse Pakistani security and intelligence agencies of forcibly disappearing students, activists, academics and journalists suspected of dissent or links to separatist movements. The Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) reports that a government commission has formally registered another disappearance case. Families of Kamran Khan, who was detained on April 1 and taken to an undisclosed location, and of Riaz Satakzai, who vanished from a Frontier Corps checkpoint on May 6, have joined the protest camp outside the Quetta Press Club.

Baloch rights organisations frequently use the term “death squads” to describe armed groups they say receive support or protection from state institutions. These groups are accused of targeting civilians, political activists and human rights defenders. Human rights organisations, including Human Rights Watch, and United Nations experts have expressed concerns over alleged abuses and called for accountability.

The protests reflect deep mistrust between sections of the local population and the state, as families demand either the return of their missing relatives or credible information about their fate. The demonstrations also threaten to block the strategically important Makran Coastal Highway if authorities fail to act.