Violence against civilians in Balochistan is on the rise, with two disturbing incidents recently brought to light by a human rights organization. In the Hub district, a Baloch civilian named Sohrab was forcibly disappeared during a house raid by Pakistan’s Frontier Corps and Counter Terrorism Department. This marked Sohrab’s third enforced disappearance, following previous detentions in 2017 and 2019.
Another incident involved the extrajudicial killing of a Baloch civilian named Nisar in the Kech district. His mutilated body was discovered in the Buleda region, with reports suggesting he was abducted by a death squad and killed on the same day. The Baloch National Movement organized a protest in Trier, Germany, to draw global attention to the severe human rights violations in Balochistan by Pakistani forces.
Protesters at the demonstration expressed solidarity with the people of Balochistan and raised concerns about enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, and repression against dissenters and activists by Pakistani authorities. They called for international intervention to address the ongoing abuses and highlighted the impact on women, children, and families of the disappeared.
The protesters demanded independent investigations by the United Nations, the European Union, and international human rights bodies into the violations in Balochistan. They urged accountability under international law for those responsible for the atrocities in the region. The situation in Balochistan has seen a surge in military actions resulting in casualties, prompting calls for a reassessment of aid and defense partnerships with Pakistan.
