On 2nd May 2025, in the scorching heat of Turbat, women and children blocked the road at D-Baloch Kech, they demanded, not missing persons or natural resources but the return of missing dead bodies. The dead bodies of three young men (namely Sarbaan, Nabeel, and Zikka) were killed in a clash with Pakistani security forces in Dannuk Kech. The forces took the dead bodies with them. The families continued their resistance, rather than returning the dead bodies of young men, the police, along with other district administration, threatened the families to end the protest.

Balach Baali, brother of Sarbaan, recounted heart-wrenching scenes that unfolded.”  When we became aware of the incident, we approached the authorities and requested that they approach the Frontier Corps (FC) to hand over the dead bodies of our brothers. However, we received no assurance from the authorities. On the second day, we, along with the other families, blocked the roads at two points—Jadgal-e-Daan and Kesaak—and continued our sit-in protest.

Later that evening, a Levies Major, along with the SHO of police, arrived with prisoner vans and threatened the families to end the protest. But we insisted that the FC had not listened to us, and we were left with no option but to block the roads. We told them, “Don’t come to us—go and talk to the authorities. Ask them to hand over the bodies so we can bury them according to our customs, in our own time and place.”

That evening, no one came—not the AC, DC, police, nor anyone. However, through the death squads, they continued to threaten the protesting families. They tried to forcibly clear the roads by saying, “The FC convoy is coming, and their cars are approaching.” But the entire night passed, and no one came. The second night passed in the same way.

The civil society, the media, the representatives of all political parties, the Turbat press—none of them came during this time.

On the third evening, we decided to silently end the protest. The next morning, we offered absentee funeral prayers. We assigned symbolic graves to each one and buried their memories. 

What unfolded next was inhumane, barbaric, and unethical, The protesting families were shocked and traumatized to find out that their loved ones were buried without proper burial rituals, and even without a shroud (kafan), and that even proper funeral rites were not performed. 

The grieving families gathered  near Taleemi Chowk Graveyard,  to gather more information about their beloved people but once again the the police along with other law enforcement agencies arrived, threatened the families, tried to disperse them however the families exhumed one of the dead bodies later buried him with proper Islamic rites and Baloch customs. 

Balach recalls after some days, “we became aware that three new graves had been dug near Taleemi Chowk in Ahsan Shan Graveyard, and people had seen Zikka’s Balochi chaddar lying on one of the graves.

The families gathered at the graveyard to find out more about the new graves.

The first day, we visited the DC and informed him of the situation. We requested permission to take the dead bodies with us, so we could perform the funeral rites according to our traditions and customs. The DC promised us and asked for two days.

After two days, we visited him again, but he wasn’t in his office. We waited for him and even went to his house, but he wasn’t there either. We haven’t seen him since.

Then the families went to offer Fatiha Khawani, a ceremony where Surah Al-Fatiha (the first chapter of the Qur’an) is recited for the deceased as a form of remembrance and to seek blessings for their souls. However, the bodies had been thrown into the graves without a shroud—a complete lack of respect for the dead. (The bodies were not decomposed, as the motherland had preserved them with its unconditional love.)

Soon, the FC and police forces surrounded the entire graveyard premises and stopped the exhumation. After strong resistance from the women and children, the police told the families that they would exhume the bodies and offer the funeral rites according to customs.

I have not seen Sarbaan, Nabeel, or Zikka’s dead bodies. I am still not sure if those are the bodies of our young brothers. However, the viral picture, where the feet of the dead bodies can be seen, resembles Sarban’s feet “. (This refers to the first photo released by the Pakistani forces.)

In a religious context specifically in Islam, such acts are uncanonical. Everyone has the right to be buried with proper Islamic rituals, but here no respect of religious rites, powerful quarters have the complete impunity to act without being accountable. 

The silence of religious scholars is quite alarming. In such cases, the religious scholars must call out barbaric acts and speak against yet, here they have chosen not to speak, which indicates the religious scholars are also facilitating those elements involved in the Baloch genocide. 

It is not just the religious scholars, but most of the intellectual minds in society have stayed silent in the face of barbarism. 

Such practices are not unfamiliar in Balochistan, if we recall our memories two decades back, the assassination of Nawab Akbar bugti, (one of the prominent figures in Baloch politics) by the Pakistan military on 26 August 2006, this heinous act sparked a widespread uprising across Balochistan. Nawab Akbar Bugti’s dead  body was disrespected, the family members were denied the  right to perform the funeral according to the rites of Islam and Balochi Customs, the Dead body was locked in a casket and  a lock was put on it and buried. Nawab bught’s son Jameel Bugti recounted the incident in documentary “what they did we even don’t know where my father is buried we don’t believe in all that drama that brought a box and buried in Dera Bugti and put a lock on it, who put lock on caskets and nowhere in the world but in this country (Pakistan) you do all these stupid things and you expect the people to praise and say we all are well-wishers of Pakistan how can you expect any Baloch to be a well-wishers of Pakistan when you treat Baloch like this or our elders like this “ 

This is how the Balochs are treated, even the dead bodies are not spared. It shows the hatred of the authorities towards Baloch, moreover these acts are intentionally done to send a message, stay silent, do not resist.Email