HRCP condemns killing of police surgeon in Balochistan

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has strongly condemned the target killing of police surgeon, Dr. Baqir Shah, in Quetta on Thursday.

In a statement issued on Friday, HRCP said it was deeply regrettable that Dr. Shah, who had reported receiving death threats and had earlier been injured in an attack, was provided no protection by the authorities. It should be noted that the doctor had conducted the post mortem of the bodies of five foreigners killed by security forces in Kharotobad in May 2010, and had concluded that the five had died of gunshot wounds and were unarmed.

HRCP said that Dr Shah’s killing demonstrated once again the impunity with which death squads operated in Balochistan. The Commission demanded a transparent probe into the murder of Dr. Shah, as well as into all the targeted killings occurring with increasing frequency in Balochistan, and stressed that findings of the probe must be made public. HRCP also reiterated its demand for an end to the culture of impunity for security agencies.