Lahore, January 27: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has voiced its serious concern over the discovery of 15 badly decomposed dead bodies in Khuzdar district of Balochistan on Saturday and called upon the federal and Balochistan provincial government to urgently establish the identity of the deceased and their killers.

In letters written to the federal interior minister and the Balochistan chief minister, HRCP noted that the bodies were far too decomposed to be recognizable. So far there was no information about who the deceased were and who killed them. Initial reports suggested that the 15 persons had died around a month earlier and parts of their bodies had been eaten by wild animals.

HRCP demanded that a thorough probe must be immediately initiated and all efforts made to establish the facts in the case and bring the perpetrators to justice. If necessary, DNA tests should be conducted at the earliest to identity the deceased, it added. “Such an investigation is all the more vital in view of the spate of violence, targeted killings and enforced disappearance and dumping of dead bodies of missing persons in Balochistan in recent years. HRCP also calls upon the government to facilitate relatives of missing persons who are keen to learn if the deceased include their dear ones.”

HRCP also urged the federal and provincial governments to find a solution to the violence, lawlessness and killings in Balochistan and stressed that such a solution must respect due process and human rights and that emphasis should be placed on finding political means to address the challenges.

Zohra Yusuf

Chairperson