Abdul Hameed Hayatan

Incident Description: Abducted; body recovered

On October 25, 2010, reporter and photographer for Daily Karachi, Daily Tawar and for Royal TV, Abdul Hameed Hayatan — popularly known as Lala Hameed Baloch, was abducted from the southwestern port city of Gwadar and shot dead. Hayatan was also the president of the Balochistan National Movement (BNM) Gwadar chapter. His body was found in a deserted area near the Sami River in Turbat district of the Balochistan province on November 18.

He had been shot in the head and the chest. Along with his body, a gruesome note was also found which read: “A gift of Eid for the Baloch.” General Secretary of the Gwadar Press Club, Qazi Dad Muhammad, had told PPF that on October 25, eyewitnesses informed him that Hayatan was returning from a relative’s marriage ceremony in the Karwaar region, when some plain-clothed security personnel tried to stop him at a check post.

Hayatan turned his bike around and tried to escape but the security personnel opened fire. He was shot in the hand and fell off his bike. The security personnel took him along with his bike. Family members believed that Hayatan was abducted by security personnel like many others had previously been abducted in a similar fashion from different areas of Balochistan.

According to Muhammad, local journalists believed that Hayatan’s critical reporting on the Pakistani authorities and his support for the BNM were the motive for his abduction and murder. Hayatan had played a role in establishing the Gwadar Press Club. He also avidly wrote in favor of the Baloch Armed Struggle. He faced a year-long trial for taking pictures of police officers.

Hayatan's brother Abdul Haleem told PPF that they had registered an FIR, but police had not found those behind the journalist's murder. He said that the family had not tried to pursue the case either. According to Tehsildar Shair Jan no one has been arrested yet, and there have been no court proceedings.