In yet another case of alleged extrajudicial killing in Balochistan, 21-year-old Zeeshan Baloch, a student from Khudabadan, Panjgur, was found dead on Monday morning following his abduction. According to the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), Zeeshan had been forcibly disappeared by a “Pakistan-backed death squad” just hours earlier.

Zeeshan’s bullet-ridden body, bearing multiple gunshot wounds, was discovered near Surdu Ghareeb Nawaz Hotel around 9:00 a.m., the BYC reported in a statement. The organisation condemned the killing as a continuation of a “multigenerational cycle of violence” targeting Baloch families.

Zeeshan was abducted on Sunday evening from Football Chowk in Panjgur. Human rights groups, including Paank and BYC, had immediately demanded his release, citing growing concerns for his safety. In response, Zeeshan’s family held a sit-in protest on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) road to draw attention to his disappearance.

Zeeshan was the son of Zaheer Ahmed, who has been missing since his own enforced disappearance on April 13, 2015. Human rights bodies say Zeeshan had been an active voice in the campaign for his father’s release and participated in protest marches, including a long march to Islamabad highlighting enforced disappearances.

“The same family that was already under threat for peacefully demanding justice has now lost another member,” BYC said, adding that Zeeshan’s death was a targeted attack meant to silence dissent.

Paank blamed the Pakistan Army and its affiliated groups for the abduction and murder, urging international human rights organisations to intervene and take concrete action against abuses in Balochistan.