The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in Pakistan’s Balochistan province has been accused of killing three missing persons in a “fake encounter”, the media reported.The allegation was levelled by Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) chairman Nasrullah Baloch, reports Dawn news.A press release from the CTD said that it had received information that some “terrorists” of the banned Balochistan Liberation Army group were present in the outskirts of Kharan district and possessed a large quantity of weapons and ammunition, with an aim to plan a major terrorist activity.The press release stated that subsequently a team of its own personnel and a security institution was constituted to locate the possible hideout.The intelligence teams located the hideout and determined the presence of seven “terrorists” led by Ashfaq Ahmed alias Jameel. The joint team then planned an operation and was met by indiscriminate firing.
The press release said that as an act of self defence, the operation team retaliated and the exchange of fire continued for an hour, during which, Jameel and two others managed to escape, Dawn reported.The CTD said that its team tried to chase the fleeing “terrorists” but was unsuccessful in making arrests due to poor visibility and mountainous landscape.He said that Tabish was a leader of Baloch Students Organisation-Pajjar who was allegedly picked up from Khuzdar on June 9, 2021, and his case was even forwarded to the provincial and federal governments, along with the federal cabinet’s subcommittee on missing persons, Dawn reported.
Nasrullah said that Tabish’s family had identified his body and the other two were Fareed and Salaal, who were picked up from Quetta on September 28 and October 6, respectively.The issue of these two missing persons was also raised through VBMP’s platform and the concerned authorities were informed,” the VBMP chairman said.