Enforced disappearances continue unabated in Balochistan for the past two decades. Baloch nationalists, activists, and human rights groups have accused Pakistani intelligence agencies and security forces of being involved in these enforced disappearances and extra-judicial killings. Although the Pakistani government has denied involvement in these disappearances, rights groups argue that the evidence suggests otherwise.
An investigative report by The Balochistan Post (TBP) on the state of ‘enforced disappearances’ in Balochistan for the 2nd half of April is as follows.
Findings
TBP collected several cases of enforced disappearances reported from different areas of Balochistan in the last two weeks of April 2023. The reports concluded that 8 people forcibly disappeared, 16 were released and 3 dead bodies were found in the last two weeks of April. The first two weeks’ report was published earlier.
People disappeared from:
- Quetta: 2
- Panjgur: 1
- Bolan: 2
- Rawalpindi: 2
Three dead bodies recovered from Bolan
Details of the victims of enforced disappearances
Following individuals were forcibly disappeared, while some of them were later released, and some extrajudicially killed. TBP verified the status by the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) and Paank.
- Javed Zehri: detained from Khuzdar on April 1. Later released
- Doctor Nabi Dad Bughti: Detained from Quetta on April 16. Later released
- Dr. Fayaz: Detained from Quetta on April 16. Still missing
- Mir Wais: Detained from Kech on February 28. Released in April
- Sajid: Detained from Panjgur on December 5, 2021. Released on April 12
- Haneef Baloch: Detained from Panjgur on April 18. Still missing
- Sher Zaman: Detained from Quetta. Released on April 20
- Dr. Abdul Shakoor: Detained from Quetta on April 20. Released on April 20
- Shehzad: Detained from Rawalpindi on April 21. Still missing
- Zaheer Shah: Detained from Rawalpindi on April 21. Still missing
- Aleen Deen: Detained (date unknown). Released on April 22
- Muhammad Asif: Detained (Date unknown). Released on April 22
- Wahab Baloch: Detained from Panjgur. Released on April 22
- Rasool Baksh: Detained from Soorab. Released on April 22
- Khalid: Detained from Noshki. Released on April 22
- Hamza: Detained from Bolan on April 26. Later released
- Jusal: Detained from Bolan on April 26. Later released
- Liaquat Zehri: Detained from Zehri, Khuzdar on January 9, 2021. Released on April 27, 2023
- Nadir Ali: Detained from Zehri Khuzdar. Released on April 27
Three forcibly disappeared persons were allegedly killed extrajudicially by Pakistani forces.
- Fareed Shahwani: Detained from Mastung in August 2022. His dead body was recovered on April 19
- Azeem Marri: Detained from Harnai on March 21, 2023. His dead body was recovered on April 19
- Hazrat Sumalani: Detained from Harnai on March 23, 2023. His dead body was recovered on April 19