CHAGAI: The bullet-riddled body of a missing man was found near the Pul Choto area of Chagai district on Thursday.

The deceased, Hafeez­ullah Mohammad Hasni, was abducted almost four years ago in Dalbandin and since then his whereabouts was unknown.

His family members had many times participated in protest demonstrations organised by the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons to raise voice against alleged enforced disappearance of missing persons and demand their safe recovery.

According to family sources, Hasni’s body was buried at a deserted place after his murder.

Residents of a nearby village informed a tribal elder about the presence of an unidentified body in the area, which was later shifted to Prince Fahad Hospital in Dalbandin.

It is worth mentioning that a major-rank officer of Frontier Corps’ Dalbandin Rifles was sentenced to life imprisonment by a military court in August last year for taking over Rs6 million as bribe from the victim’s family with a promise to recover Hasni.

The victim’s family had then lodged a complaint against the officer after he had failed to fulfil his promise.

Dr Iqbal Baloch of Prince Fahad Hospital told Dawn that the body was beyond recognition as it was about three years old.

However, he said, Hasni’s family members had recognised him by the tailor’s badge on the clothes he was wearing.

Besides, his two artificial teeth and shoes also helped the victim’s family in identifying him.

According to Dr Baloch, marks of three gunshots on his chest and one on his leg were found during medical examination of the corpse.

Levies Force officials have launched an investigation into the matter.

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2020