ONCE again, there are grim tidings from Balochistan. Barely a few days after the horrific attack on a bus of Shia pilgrims in Mastung, 13 bodies have been found in two locations in Tutak, Khuzdar district. According to reports, local shepherds made the grisly discovery when they came upon two half-buried bodies in a desolate area. After the Levies and Frontier Corps personnel were informed, the bodies were removed from the shallow grave; further digging unearthed 11 more corpses from the site. Given the advanced stage of decomposition, DNA samples were taken to establish the victims’ identity and the bodies were shifted to the district hospital for post-mortem. Aside from the certainty of foul play, one can only speculate at this point as to identity and motive — particularly as Khuzdar district is one of the most volatile parts of the province. Feudal rivalries — both inter and intra — are rife here, and criminal gangs that often enjoy the patronage of local feudals engage in kidnappings, dacoities, etc. Significantly, Khuzdar is also a hotbed of the Baloch insurgency, with a marked security presence, and a large number of enforced disappearances have allegedly taken place here. The hearts of many a family member of the ‘missing’ Baloch must have skipped a beat when the discovery of the bodies came to light.

In such a charged situation, it is scarcely surprising that exaggerated versions of the story have begun doing the rounds. The state is increasingly perceived as being accountable to no one but itself. This impression is enhanced, ironically enough, by the protracted and largely unsuccessful efforts of the Supreme Court to compel security operatives to operate within the ambit of the law and produce before it those individuals that have allegedly been forcibly disappeared. The recently enacted Protection of Pakistan Ordinance, along with its yet more draconian amendment, appears to further institutionalise the state’s impunity. It is imperative that the Balochistan government take proactive measures to investigate the circumstances behind the men’s death in a transparent, credible manner and expose those responsible, even though the truth may be an inconvenient one. The facts of this case must not remain half-buried in the murk of ‘national security imperatives’.