May 9, 2025: In a chilling continuation of violence against Baloch civilians, 25-year-old Ehsan Shoukat was shot dead on May 4 in Tump, located in Pakistan’s Kech district. Human rights group Baloch Yakjehti Committee has accused operatives of Pakistan’s Military Intelligence (MI) of orchestrating the assassination, calling it part of a growing wave of extrajudicial executions in Balochistan.
Ehsan, a resident of Kolahoo, had previously been forcibly disappeared by Pakistan’s Frontier Corps (FC) — a tactic frequently used to suppress dissent in the region. During his illegal detention, he was allegedly subjected to severe torture and inhumane treatment, according to the Committee. Though eventually released, Ehsan lived under ongoing threats, a grim reality for many former detainees in the province.
After his release, Ehsan tried to rebuild his life, assisting his father, Dr. Shoukat, by distributing medical supplies to the local community. Despite his efforts to stay away from political activism, he was deliberately targeted and killed — a fate that rights advocates argue has become all too common for survivors of Pakistan’s detention centers.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee stressed that Ehsan’s murder is not an isolated event. Other residents, including Mairaj Baloch, Kareem Baloch, and Nabeel Baloch, have also been killed in recent weeks under similar circumstances. The Committee claims these killings send a chilling message: any Baloch survivor or critic of the state is at risk, regardless of profession or background.
Describing Pakistan’s policies in Balochistan as a systematic campaign of state repression, the Committee pointed to a consistent pattern of enforced disappearances, custodial abuse, and targeted assassinations designed to stifle voices demanding justice, human rights, and regional autonomy.
In a public statement, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee called on the United Nations and international human rights organisations to urgently intervene and investigate the growing list of atrocities in Balochistan. They warned that continued global silence only fuels impunity and deepens the crisis for the Baloch people.