A human rights organization has expressed deep concern over the significant increase in gender-based human rights violations in Balochistan in 2025. The Baloch Yakjehti Committee highlighted the enforced disappearances of Baloch women by Pakistani forces, indicating a systematic pattern of repression and collective punishment.
The committee’s thematic report, titled ‘Enforced Disappearances of Baloch Women in 2025: Collective Punishment and Gendered Human Rights Violations in Balochistan,’ emphasized a notable rise in the direct targeting of women and girls in the province during the year. At least 12 cases of enforced disappearance involving women and girls were documented across various districts of Balochistan in 2025.
According to the report, these enforced disappearances were carried out without legal justification, arrest warrants, or judicial oversight. The victims’ fate or whereabouts were often undisclosed, and in some instances, multiple family members were targeted in the same operation, exacerbating the harm at the household level. The violations occurred within the broader context of Pakistan’s security operations, counter-insurgency measures, and militarized governance.
The enforced disappearances of women were described as severe violations of fundamental human rights with far-reaching consequences beyond the individual victim. The report highlighted that these actions destabilize families, disrupt community structures, and create an environment of fear, silence, and social disintegration. The targeting of women is often used to pressure male relatives or entire families, representing a gender-specific form of repression.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee urged international human rights bodies to promptly monitor the situation, emphasizing that these practices violate constitutional guarantees, breach international law, and cause lasting harm to families and communities.
