At least fourteen Baloch civilians were forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces in Balochistan
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QUETTA — At least fourteen Baloch civilians were forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces in Balochistan, according to leading human rights organisations.
Paank, the Baloch National Movement's Human Rights Department, on Saturday, mentioned that 23-year-old Zulfiqar, a resident of Tasp region in Panjgur district of Balochistan, was forcibly disappeared on Friday by a Pakistan-backed armed group.
The rights body also expressed concern over the enforced disappearance of Zakir Noor, a student from Panjgur, by Pakistani state military personnel in Karachi on December 30.
Citing information, Paank stated that Zakir Noor was unlawfully detained without any warrant, legal justification, or due process, while his whereabouts remain unknown, placing his life at serious risk.
“Such actions constitute a grave violation of fundamental human rights, including protection from arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance under international law,” the rights body stated.
Paank expressed serious concern over the continued pattern of enforced disappearances targeting Baloch students and youth across Pakistan, particularly in urban centres like Karachi.
Meanwhile, human rights body Baloch Voice for Justice (BVJ) strongly condemned the enforced disappearance of multiple members of a single family on February 8 during a late-night raid by Pakistani forces in Gulshan Amir Abad region in Hub district.
According to BVJ, Pakistani security forces reportedly detained Abdul Rab, Muhammad Rahim, Abdul Razzaq, and Abdul Malik, four brothers, along with their sons Shahzaib, Jahangir, Noroz, and Shah Mir.
It added that the Pakistani authorities are further accused of taking another Baloch civilian, Dad Shah, from Hub.
Citing family reports, the rights body stated that women and children were subjected to violence during the operation.
“This pattern of collective punishment reflects a continued policy of intimidation and lawlessness in Balochistan. Enforced disappearance is a serious violation of international human rights law. We demand the immediate disclosure of their whereabouts and their presentation before a court. Silence from state institutions only deepens the crisis and erodes public trust,” the BVJ stated.
Highlighting the atrocities across Balochistan, the rights body further revealed the enforced disappearances of three Baloch youths--Ghalib, Afzal, and Yasir Lehri.
BVJ stated that on February 9, Pakistan’s Frontier Corps and Secret Service agencies raided Allangi Mashkai in Awaran district and forcibly disappeared Ghalib, a student who had returned from provincial capital Quetta to attend a family wedding.
In a separate incident on February 10, 26-year-old Yasir Lehri, a police constable and photographer, was abducted by Pakistani Military Intelligence (MI) and Frontier Corps (FC) from Mughalzai Main RCD Road in Kalat district in Balochistan. Additionally, on January 29, 22-year-old Afzal, a driver from the Turbat region in the province, was taken from his home by FC and MI.
“We denounce these unlawful actions in the strongest terms. Enforced disappearance is a grave violation of human rights and international law,” BVJ noted.