Disappeared Baloch Journalist Killed, Dumped in Quetta

Disappeared Baloch Journalist Killed, Dumped in Quetta

The Baloch Hal News

QUETTA: The bullet-riddled dead body of a Baloch journalist was recovered from Quetta on Friday, police said.

Family members said Rehmatullah Shaeen, a correspondent of anti-government Daily Tawarnewspaper in Bolan District, had disappeared almost a month ago when he was traveling from his native town to Quetta for which they blamed the government intelligence agencies.

On a tip-off, the police recovered the dead body from Barech Town within the jurisdiction of Sariab police and moved it to Bolan Medical Complex Hospital for autopsy where he was identified as Rehmatullah Shaheen. Hospital sources said that victim had been shot in the head which resulted his instant death and body also showed marks of torture.

Police handed over body to heirs after completing legal formalities.

Baloch journalists working in the conflict-stricken province have come under a wave of target killing attributed to the government intelligence agencies. In similar incidents in the recent past, president of the Khuzdar Press Club Mohammad Khan Sasoli, senior journalist from Gwadar Lala Hameed Hayatan and a copy editor of a Balochi language magazine Ilyas Nazar were also target killed.

Another journalist and a senior activist of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Siddqi Eidho is still missing after being whisked away allegedly by the personnel of the government agencies on the Mekran Coastal Highway nearly three months ago.

Prior to his disappearance, Mr. Shaeen Rehmatullah Shaheen, also a renowned poet, had gone missing on December 8th, 2009 when he was traveling from his office to Mach Grid station where he was employed too. The journalist went missing for around a week and later resurfaced in the police custody. Officials leveled terrorism charges against him but he was released after the authorities failed to substantiated the charges.

Mr. Shaeen was released after massive protest rallies were organized by journalists from all over Balochistan. However, he was once again whisked away and killed this time.

According to the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP), a Balochistan-based organization struggling for the recovery of missing persons,more than 121 bullet riddled bodies of Baloch missing persons have been recovered from different parts of the province during past eight months who were allegedly abducted by security forces and government agencies.