A human rights organization in Balochistan highlighted a surge in abuses by Pakistani forces, citing 107 enforced disappearances and 78 extrajudicial killings in January. The Human Rights Council of Balochistan (HRCB) documented 107 cases of enforced disappearances, including a woman. Among these cases, 78 individuals were taken through house raids, while 29 were detained by other means. Pakistan’s Frontier Corps (FC) led with 56 abductions, followed by intelligence agencies with 32 cases, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) with 12 cases, and Pakistan-backed death squads with seven incidents.
The report specified that Kech had the highest number of cases at 28, followed by Quetta with 20 cases, and Gwadar and Panjgur with 17 and 14 abductions, respectively. Additional incidents were reported in Kharan (nine cases), Khuzdar (six), Karachi (four), Hub and Awaran (three each), Dera Bugti (two), and Mastung (one). In January, a total of 78 killings were documented in Balochistan, including 77 men and one woman. The identities of 44 victims remained unconfirmed.
The report outlined that alleged encounters were the most common cause of death, with 41 incidents, followed by 15 fake encounters. Drone strikes resulted in eight deaths, while target and custodial killings each accounted for six cases. Honour killings were the least frequent, with two reported incidents. The Pakistani Army was held accountable for 41 incidents, while the Counter-Terrorism Department and Frontier Corps were linked to 13 and 11 cases, respectively. Death squads and unknown perpetrators were each associated with five incidents.
Additionally, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) expressed concerns about the heavy militarization of Balochistan, citing military check-posts on highways and within major cities. The BYC highlighted restrictions on movement, common intimidation, humiliation, and enforced disappearances at military check-posts. The organization reported daily military raids, with forces entering homes, harassing and torturing residents, looting belongings, and destroying houses. Balochistan continues to face severe atrocities by Pakistani forces, characterized by enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings of Baloch civilians.
