A 25-year-old Baloch student has reportedly been subjected to enforced disappearance after being detained by security forces in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad.
Shayan Mengal, a student at the Federal Medical College, was allegedly detained by Pakistani security personnel on 18 June near the Islamabad Toll Plaza.
Shayan hails from Qaziabad in Nushki district, Balochistan, and is the son of prominent tribal elder Haji Amir Hamza Mengal. According to his family, no legal warrant was presented at the time of his arrest, and authorities offered no explanation for his detention.
Family members said they visited multiple police stations and government institutions in search of him, but no agency has confirmed taking him into custody.
The family appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan, the Prime Minister, and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) to intervene and ensure Shayan’s immediate release.
The case comes as the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) reported additional disappearances of Baloch men, with two more families submitting testimonies to the organisation this week.
Syed Anas Shah, a college student from Kalat, was reportedly detained on 13 June while travelling with his family. According to his brother, Syed Umair Shah, their vehicle was stopped at Khadkucha in Mastung by personnel from the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and other agencies. Anas was taken away “for investigation,” and has not been heard from since.
In a separate case, Suhail Ahmed, a shopkeeper from Kharan who rents out audio equipment for weddings, was allegedly picked up by CTD personnel from Qilla Chowk Bazaar on the night of 12 June. His family said he was taken without a warrant and remains missing more than a week later.
VBMP Chairman Nasrullah Baloch condemned what he described as “extra-constitutional arrests,” urging the government to take urgent action.
“These enforced disappearances are destroying families and leaving them in permanent psychological distress,” he said.