In a series of incidents highlighting ongoing enforced disappearances in Balochistan, four individuals have reportedly been detained by Pakistani forces and remain missing.
According to reports from Kharan’s Kalan area, Nusratullah, son of Sardar Liaquat, and Muhammad Hassan, son of Munshi Abdullah, were taken into custody and subsequently disappeared. In a separate incident, Munir, son of Assa, was detained in the coastal city of Gwadar and is now missing.
Meanwhile, in the industrial town of Hub Chowki, security forces reportedly conducted a raid late last night, detaining Nouroz, son of Muhammad Islam, a resident of Sande Sar in Panjgur. Notably, Nouroz has reportedly been subjected to enforced disappearance twice before; this marks the third time he has been forcibly taken.
Meanwhile, the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP), stated that the details of Hasil Khan, a victim of enforced disappearance from Awaran, have been submitted to their organisation by his brother.
In a statement issued by the VBMP, Zafeer Ahmed explained that his brother, Hasil Khan, son of Yaro, was summoned by Pakistani forces at the Pindi Army Check Post in Mashkay Awaran, on April 26 this year. Hasil received a phone call from the forces asking him to appear at the check post. He went there with his cousin, Saleem.
At the check post, a military personnel asked Saleem to fetch some items from a nearby shop. When Saleem returned, Hasil Khan was no longer present. On inquiring, the army personnel told Saleem that Hasil had been taken for interrogation and would be released afterward.
However, seven months have passed, and neither Hasil Khan has been released nor has any information about his whereabouts been provided to the family. This lack of communication has caused immense mental distress to his family, leaving them in a state of agony and uncertainty, the victim’s brother stated.
Enforced Disappearances in Balochistan
Balochistan has long been the site of political unrest and conflict between “pro-independence” movements and the state. Enforced disappearances, where individuals are detained by state forces without acknowledgement or legal process, have become a pervasive issue in the region. Human rights organisations frequently accuse Pakistani law enforcement agencies and security forces of using this tactic to suppress dissent and intimidate activists, students, and ordinary citizens.
The Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) estimates thousands of cases of enforced disappearances over the past two decades, with families often left in anguish, not knowing the fate of their loved ones. Despite domestic and international pressure, including from organisations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, the Pakistani government has made little progress in addressing these allegations or providing justice to the victims.
These recent incidents underscore the ongoing and systemic nature of enforced disappearances in Balochistan, further intensifying the region’s human rights crisis.