Number of bodies recovered from Balochistan mass grave reaches 17

[naveen mishra]

QUETTA: The number of dead bodies found from a mass grave in Balochistan's troubled Khuzdar district has reached 17 on Tuesday, an official said.

Asad ur Rehman Gailani, the Home Secretary Balochistan told Dawn.com during last the two days, four bodies were recovered from the mass grave in Totak area of Khuzdar.

He said the dead bodies were shifted to civil hospital Khuzdar for postmortem.

"They are yet to be identified," Gailani stated.

He however, informed that samples of 14 dead bodies were sent to Lahore for DNA test.

"It will take almost six weeks to get the final report from a DNA test," he added.

The relatives of two of the dead, identified their loved ones and had them buried in Khuzdar a few days back.

On the other hand, Balochistan government extended the establishment of a judicial tribunal probing into the mass-grave for another two months.

The provincial government had established a judicial tribunal soon after the recovery of mass-grave in Totak area of Khuzdar in late January this year.

Judge of Balochistan High Court Justice Muhammad Noor Muskanzai is leading the tribunal to conduct a judicial inquiry into the discovery of the mass-grave.

"We have extended the term of the commission for another two months on the request of tribunal," Asad Gailani said.

Rights groups have expressed concerned voice over the recovery of mass grave in Balochistan and urged the authorities to properly probe into the matter.