Enforced disappearances and state repression in Balochistan continue to provoke outrage, as Pakistani forces allegedly detained six more individuals during a military operation in Kech district on Thursday. Meanwhile, police dismantled a peaceful protest camp outside the Quetta Press Club set up by the families of political prisoners.
Six ‘Forcibly Disappeared’ in Dasht Operation
According to local sources, personnel from the Frontier Corps (FC) and intelligence agencies raided multiple homes in the Darcheko area of Dasht, Kech, and forcibly detained six men. The individuals were reportedly blindfolded and taken to an undisclosed location. No legal warrants or official explanations were provided at the time of the arrests.
Four of the detained have been identified as Lahdad, son of Barkat; Waseem, son of Bashir; Ayaz, son of Ahmad; and Shakeel, son of Faqir. The identities of the remaining two individuals have not yet been confirmed.
Residents said the operation was carried out with force. In recent weeks, similar actions have reportedly resulted in enforced disappearances followed by the extrajudicial killing of previously detained individuals. The pattern has raised fresh concerns over the re-emergence of the so-called “kill and dump” policy in Balochistan.
Related: Military Operations Sweep Balochistan: ‘They Looted Homes, Beat Women, Disappeared Men’
Protest Camp Dismantled Outside Quetta Press Club
Meanwhile, The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) issued a strong condemnation after police dismantled a peaceful protest camp on Friday outside the Quetta Press Club. The camp had been set up by families of political prisoners — including Dr Mahrang Baloch, Shahji Sibghatullah, Bebarg Baloch, Gulzadi Baloch, and Beebow Baloch — all of whom remain in custody under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance.
In a statement, the BYC called the police action “a grave display of authoritarianism.” Protest materials were reportedly seized, and family members were harassed during the raid.
“This is yet another alarming example of the Pakistani state’s increasingly repressive tactics in Balochistan, where even the most basic right to peaceful assembly is being denied,” the BYC said.
The protest camp had been organised to raise awareness about enforced disappearances and to demand the immediate release of all political detainees.
‘Even Families Are Not Allowed to Protest’ — Sammi Deen Baloch
BYC leader Sammi Deen Baloch criticised the dismantling of the camp, stating that while the judiciary has failed to deliver justice, even the families of the detained are being denied the right to protest peacefully.
Posting on X , she said: “The families of Mahrang Baloch, Sibghatullah, Bebarg, Gulzadi, and others set up a protest camp to demand their release. Police forcibly dismantled it. Even in the scorching heat, families continue to protest under the open sky.”
She called the state’s actions a violation of fundamental constitutional rights and urged Quetta residents, human rights activists, and civil society groups to join the camp and show solidarity.