It has now been over a month since the father of Baloch Yekjehti Committee (BYC) leader Dr Sabiha Baloch was reportedly forcibly disappeared by Pakistani intelligence agencies. According to reports, Mr Bashir Ahmed was abducted on 5 April and remains in the custody of state agencies. His disappearance is allegedly being used as leverage to force Dr Sabiha to either surrender herself or resign from her political and human rights activism.
In a statement on social media, Dr Sabiha Baloch condemned the abduction, stating, “My father has not been taken due to any crime, but purely because of my political stance. This is not law enforcement; it is political blackmail.”
Sources told The Balochistan Post that Pakistan’s intelligence agencies have contacted Dr Sabiha’s family members and issued ultimatums: Dr Baloch must either submit to arrest or step down from her leadership role in the BYC. Additionally, the family has received threats indicating that Mr Bashir Ahmed may be killed, and that other relatives could also be subjected to enforced disappearance.
The situation has drawn international condemnation. In Geneva, Mary Lawlor, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, expressed deep concern over the reprisals faced by Dr Baloch. In a formal statement, Lawlor noted that Dr Baloch could be arrested at any time and that her father’s detention appears to be a retaliatory act for her human rights work. She called on the Pakistani authorities to immediately cease reprisals and allow Dr Baloch to continue her advocacy without fear.
The targeting of BYC members has intensified in recent months. Notably, Dr Mahrang Baloch and Beebarg Baloch remain imprisoned, while Sammi Deen Baloch was recently detained and allegedly tortured in Karachi before being released. Members Beebow Baloch and Gul Zadi Baloch are also incarcerated. Activists Fauzia Baloch and Mahzeeb Baloch were reportedly abducted in Karachi and Hub Chowki, respectively, and released after 24 hours.
In a series of emotional social media posts, Dr Sabiha Baloch expressed the toll of state oppression. “What can be more devastating for a daughter than witnessing her father forcibly disappeared simply because she raised her voice for justice? I broke when my brother was taken from me, but I refused to fall apart then—and I won’t now,” she wrote.
Dr Baloch further added, “These experiences—the echoing stories from behind prison walls, the daily suffering of my comrades, the never-ending saga of enforced disappearances, and the constant shedding of blood—fuel my strength. They give me the power to fight until my last breath.”
She also issued strong criticism of the Pakistani military, asserting that it has abandoned its constitutional role of national defence in favour of political interference and repression. “Why would the army protect its citizens when it is the one suppressing them? How can it defend the country against external threats like India when it has waged war against its own people?” she stated.
Dr Baloch also pointed to systemic violence against other ethnic groups, noting bombings in Pashtun areas and the continued detention of political leaders from the BYC, Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). She condemned the abduction of innocent Baloch children and accused the military of prioritising control over compassion.
“This is the real face of the Pakistani army,” she concluded. “An institution more concerned with maintaining political dominance than ensuring the safety, prosperity, or dignity of its citizens. Peace is a dream of humanity, and life is the basic right of every human being.”