Four civilians have been reported as forcibly disappeared in Balochistan, Pakistan, according to a human rights organization. This development adds to the increasing incidents of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in the region. The Baloch National Movement’s Human Rights Department strongly criticized the recent abduction of a Baloch youth named Kareem from Turbat, highlighting a disturbing trend of enforced disappearances in Balochistan.
Paank, the rights body, also disclosed the forced disappearance of a Baloch student, Shayhaq Rahim, in Turbat by Pakistan-backed death squads. This incident underscores the atmosphere of fear and impunity prevailing in the area. Expressing deep concern for Rahim’s safety, Paank emphasized that enforced disappearances violate fundamental human rights and cause immense distress to families and communities.
In another case, a student named Noor Khan was forcibly disappeared by Pakistani military personnel from Gwadar district. Eyewitnesses reported that Noor was abducted in broad daylight, raising serious concerns about the targeting of students and civilians in Balochistan. The rights body also highlighted the continued enforced disappearance of prominent individuals, including retired Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Bakhsh Sajidi and others, over the past months.
Paank expressed serious apprehensions over the systematic policy of collective punishment by the Pakistani state, targeting family members of political activists to suppress dissent. The rights organization condemned the arbitrary arrests and disappearances, emphasizing the need to uphold human rights and due process in the region.
