Quetta, Aug 10 (IANS) Another two Baloch civilians, including a minor girl, were forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces in Balochistan, a leading human rights organisation alleged on Monday.
This latest incident comes against the backdrop of a growing wave of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances across the province.
Human rights body Baloch Voice for Justice (BVJ) revealed that Abdul Qadoos Zarakzai and his 17-year-old daughter Aqsa were reportedly forcibly disappeared on August 5 by Pakistani security personnel from the Civil Colony in Balochistan’s Khuzdar district.
Condemning the incident, the BVJ called on human rights organisations and all people of conscience to raise their voices for the safe and immediate recovery of two civilians.
“A father and his daughter should never disappear into silence. Their whereabouts must be disclosed, and they must be safely returned to their family. Silence is not an option when lives and freedom are at stake,” it noted.
Last week, Paank, the Baloch National Movement’s Human Rights Department, revealed that four civilians were extrajudicially killed and another four were forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces, as violence against civilians continues unabated across the province.
The rights body strongly condemned the continuing pattern of enforced disappearances, custodial torture, and extrajudicial killings carried out by Pakistani security forces, intelligence agencies, and state-backed death squads across the province.
It noted that the recovery of the dead bodies of Inayat Ullah, Salman Bangulzai, Attahullah Baloch, and Haibatan demonstrates the grave consequences faced by Baloch families whose loved ones are forcibly disappeared and held outside the protection of the law.
“The four cases reflect a disturbing pattern in which Baloch men are taken into custody or forcibly disappeared, kept beyond judicial oversight, and later found dead, leaving their families without answers or access to justice,” Paank stated.
Additionally, the rights body sharply criticised the enforced disappearance of the four Baloch youth allegedly at the hands of Pakistani forces from different regions across the province.
The victims were identified as 24-year-old Kamran Jumma, 19-year-old Najeebullah Baloch, 19-year-old Muzammil, and 17-year-old Jaleel.
Paank called on the Pakistani authorities “to immediately disclose the whereabouts of all four individuals, ensure their safety, and release them, unless they are formally charged with a recognised offence and brought before an independent and impartial court.”
It urged the government of Pakistan, the United Nations, and the international community to take urgent action against enforced disappearances and ensure accountability for those responsible.
–IANS
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