Four Baloch students, including a central leader of the National Democratic Party (NDP), have reportedly been forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces in Karachi.
The missing individuals have been identified as Mehraj Shad, a Central Committee member of the NDP, along with Doda Ellahi, Ghamshad, and Muzammil Baloch.
The students were taken into custody at around 1:00 AM on Monday from Karachi’s Hassan Square area. Their whereabouts remain unknown.
According to sources, the students hail from different parts of Balochistan. Doda Ellahi is a resident of Balnegor in Kech district, Ghamshad is from Mand, Muzammil is from Pasni, and Mehraj is from Absar, Turbat. All four had been living in Karachi for their studies.
Meanwhile, Ismail S/O Ibrahim, a resident of Mand (Kech) and a relative of Gamshad Baloch, also reportedly forcibly disappeared from Hassan Square Karachi last night in a separate incident. As per reports, he is currently working and residing in Dubai and arrived in Pakistan a month earlier for her mother’s medical treatment in Karachi.
It is worth noting that this is not the first time some of these individuals have been subjected to enforced disappearance. On June 7, 2022, Doda Ellahi and Ghamshad were forcibly taken during a raid in Karachi’s Maskan Chowrangi area. They were released a week later on June 14, 2022, but have now been detained again.
Sammi Deen Baloch, a leader of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), condemned the incident. She questioned: “What law or constitution is being exclusively imposed on the Baloch people? Why are Baloch youth being subjected to enforced disappearances daily?”
She accused the state of violating its own laws, stating: “Around the world, states punish lawbreakers through legal means, but in Pakistan, the state itself is directly involved in the heinous crime of enforced disappearances.”
Meanwhile, Paank, the human rights wing of the Baloch National Movement (BNM), expressed “deep concern” over the disappearances, calling it “a deeply troubling continuation of a pattern of enforced disappearances in Pakistan.”
The group highlighted the re-abduction of Doda Ellahi and Ghamshad, stating: “Their re-abduction highlights the recurring vulnerability of individuals once released or accounted for.”
Paank described enforced disappearances as a “grave violation” of international human rights law. “These practices not only inflict untold suffering on the individuals abducted but also leave families and communities in a state of anguish and uncertainty,” the group added.
The organization urged the Pakistani government to “immediately disclose the whereabouts of Doda Ellahi, Ghamshad Baloch, Muzammil Baloch, and Mehraj Shad Baloch” and to ensure their safety and well-being. Paank called for their release or presentation before a court of law, in accordance with legal procedures.
The group also appealed for an end to the practice of enforced disappearances, stressing Pakistan’s obligations under international treaties such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention Against Torture (CAT).