A missing young Baloch man from the Kech district has been released and returned home after a month of detention. However, two others have allegedly been forcibly disappeared following their arrest in Balochistan’s Gwadar and Awaran districts.
According to reports, Shehzad Ubaid, who was abducted last month, has returned home. He was detained on May 2, 2024, along with his cousin, Dawood Abdul Wahab. Dawood was released a week ago.
Despite this positive outcome, forced disappearances continue unabated. In Balochistan’s Gwadar district, Pakistani forces have allegedly detained Meeran Sawali, who reportedly disappeared five to six days ago. On June 11, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) brought him to light, but the authorities have yet to comment.
Meanwhile, the families of the “missing persons” continue to resist, advocating for their safe recovery. Protests against the recent surge in enforced disappearances and the non-recovery of Baloch missing persons continue in Quetta and Khuzdar districts of Balochistan.
Farooq Baloch’s family held a demonstration rally in front of Balochistan University, with a large number of people, including students and residents, participating to demand the safe recovery of Farooq and other missing persons. Previously, Farooq’s family staged a sit-in protest in Quetta, ending it after assurances from the administration.
Students of Balochistan Engineering and Technology University Khuzdar also held a demonstration rally against the non-recovery of Anees Baloch and Farooq Baloch. The protesters demanded the immediate release of Anees, Farooq, and other missing persons, expressing concern over the increasing series of forced disappearances.
In another incident, a Baloch man reportedly went missing from the Awaran district on Tuesday. Pakistani forces allegedly raided the Teertage town of the district and forcibly detained a man identified as Dil Jan, son of Allah Baksh, a resident of Teertage.
It is distressing to note that forced disappearances are reported daily from Balochistan. Last month, more than ninety people were reportedly forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces. According to several campaign groups, over 55,000 people are missing in Balochistan. The United Nations, Human Rights Watch, other humanitarian groups, and nationalist circles in Balochistan allege that Pakistani forces and intelligence agencies are responsible for these detentions across Balochistan.