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Tump, Balochistan — January 21, 2026
Tahir Baloch, a 21-year-old part-time worker from the Koshkalat area of Tump in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province, was allegedly extrajudicially killed by state-backed death squads, according to human rights activists.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) said Tahir, the son of Mulla Nisar, was shot dead on January 21 in Kech district after armed men linked to Pakistani security forces opened fire on him at close range.
Eyewitnesses said the young man was killed instantly when armed-backed local militias indiscriminately fired upon him. He reportedly died at the scene.
Tahir came from an extremely poor family and survived on daily wages. Activists stressed that he was an ordinary civilian with no known links to armed groups.
In a statement shared on social media, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee described the killing as part of a wider and deeply troubling pattern of violence targeting Baloch youth.
“This targeted killing once again exposes the systematic use of state-backed death squads against Baloch students, young people and civilians,” the group said.
Human rights organisations have long accused Pakistani authorities of backing shadowy militias in Balochistan, linked to enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings — allegations Islamabad has consistently denied.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest yet poorest province, has remained gripped by unrest for years, with activists warning that civilians continue to pay the heaviest price.
