Abid Washdil, an 18-year-old young man, works at his father’s puncture shop in Turbat. On Friday, August 24, while he was at the shop, a masked individual entered, pulled out a pistol, and attempted to shoot him. “But the pistol malfunctioned,” his cousin, who wishes to remain anonymous, told The Wire. “The attacker then put the faulty pistol back in his pocket, took out another one, and fired at Abid.”
His bullet-riddled body was initially brought to the hospital. “At first, we were told that he had succumbed to his injuries, and even the local media reported him as dead,” his cousin recounted. “But then a doctor informed us that he had survived and needed to be taken to Karachi immediately, as the hospitals in Turbat lack the necessary facilities.”
The victim’s cousin told The Wire, “When we brought him to the hospital, some men in civilian clothes, armed with guns, suddenly appeared and began taking pictures of him.”
Abid Washdil. Photo: By arrangement.
“I was afraid they might harm him by injecting something lethal,” he added. “I told them to leave and let the doctors attend to him because he was in a very serious condition.”
Abid is currently admitted to a hospital in Karachi, his family told The Wire.
Abid’s family reported that he was just a matriculation student when he became a victim of enforced disappearance on March 21, 2023. He was taken from his home in Aapsar in front of his family members at around 2:30 pm, in broad daylight.
His family staged numerous protests and launched social media campaigns for his return. On February 1 this year, Abid’s family, along with others whose loved ones had been forcibly disappeared, blocked the D Baloch Road, demanding their safe release. In April this year, Abid was handed over to the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and was then later released. However, he was required to appear in court before the CTD in Gwadar, where his trials were ongoing. Six to seven hearings had already taken place.
According to his family, Abid was present in court before the CTD in Gwadar on August 22, and his final hearing was scheduled for August 28. “We were finally beginning to sigh with relief, thinking our son would be freed from this CTD ordeal, but now our hopes have been shattered. Our son is once again fighting for his life,” his family shared.
Additionally, it is important to note that in the past few weeks, locals in Turbat have reported six similar incidents involving victims of enforced disappearances who were previously in CTD custody. These individuals, after being released or completing their court hearings or appearances before the CTD, were later targeted. Some escaped, some were severely injured, and even were killed.
Imtiaz Iqbal is one such case. He was forcibly disappeared by the CTD on May 17, and later released on June 8 without any post-release court appearances required by the CTD, according to his family.
On August 17, while Imtiaz and three friends were riding on two bikes to attend a wedding, two masked gunmen attacked them just a minute away from Imtiaz’s house. Imtiaz was killed in the attack, and his friend Khalil was injured.
Family of Imtiaz Iqbal protest at Turbat press club after he was abducted. Photo: By arrangement.
Imitiaz’s brother said, “We are deprived of a fair life. In the past, when someone was forcibly disappeared, we had two options: either to wait indefinitely or to receive a mutilated body. It was considered a miracle when someone returned home after being forcibly disappeared. We experienced that miracle when Imtiaz was released.” “But now,” his brother said, “I have no words or feelings to describe what it’s like to receive your brother’s mutilated body right after he’s been released.”
In another case, on July 13, Hayat Aslam stepped outside his home and noticed a Corolla car following him. When he tried to flee, he was shot at three to four times, but only one bullet hit him. Despite this, he survived.
Hayat Aslam. Photo: By arrangement.
Hayat was forcibly disappeared on October 13, 2022, presented to the CTD custody on October 21, 2022, and was later released, according to his family.
Sarfaraz and Yousuf are also notable cases reported by their families. Two days before Abid’s incident, they had a narrow escape. While sitting at a French fries stall, Sarfaraz noticed a masked man staring at them suspiciously. When Sarfaraz saw the man with a pistol, he signalled to Yousuf, and both rushed to Yousuf’s nearby house.
Sarfaraz Ayub was forcibly disappeared on October 24, 2023, and Yousuf Baloch on October 25, 2023, by the CTD, but both were later released. They are neighbours in Turbat.
Sebghatullah Baloch, a central organising member of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee and a resident of Turbat Kech, told The Wire that many families of forcibly disappeared individuals in Turbat are now in severe trauma.
“These families have called me and told me they have no place to go. Their sons’ cases are still on trial by the CTD, and they are appearing in court. If they leave the city, they risk being re-arrested, but if they stay, they face the threat of being shot.”
He added that these incidents have created chaos even after the release of their children. “Another tactic is now being added to the Baloch genocide under the guise of target killings. Death squads are operating freely. If the CTD, under some pressure, cannot kill a Baloch, the death squads will do it. The Baloch genocide continues.”
Dr. Sabiha Baloch, a political leader, told The Wire that what is happening in Balochistan is not merely a human rights or civil rights issue, but rather a Baloch genocide.
“We are running movements against enforced disappearances, yet even when people are released, they are being killed by state-backed entities like Death Squads, who can target anyone,” she claimed. “The tactics used to kill Baloch people may change, but the intent remains the same,” she expressed.