Four Baloch men were allegedly forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces in Karachi, the capital of Sindh province, local sources said on Saturday.
According to reports, 26-year-old Sadiq Murad, son of Murad Baksh and a resident of Siddique Village in Malir Kala Board, was taken from his home at around 5:30 a.m. His family said they have not received any information about his whereabouts since.
Eyewitnesses accused personnel from the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and Military Intelligence (MI) of involvement in the disappearance. A video obtained by The Balochistan Post appears to show a voice saying: “In the dark of the night, intelligence agency men are abducting my uncle, Sadiq Baloch.”
In response, the family launched a protest sit-in at Kala Board Kapotar Chowk, blocking a nearby highway and demanding his safe recovery.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) expressed solidarity with the family, urging residents of Malir and Karachi to join the protest. “Enforced disappearances are a crime against humanity, and silence only strengthens the oppressors,” the group said in a statement.
Separately, three residents of Balochistan’s Panjgur district were also allegedly detained in Karachi earlier this month and shifted to undisclosed locations. The men were identified as Sabir, son of Fazal Karim; Zubair, son of Fazal Karim; and Salman, son of Shahi.
According to sources, the three were in Karachi for medical treatment and were detained on 9 August while travelling from a hotel to a hospital. Their families say they remain missing.
The protest over Sadiq Murad’s disappearance continues, with his family calling on authorities to disclose his location and ensure his immediate release.
Rights groups, including BYC and the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP), say enforced disappearances in Balochistan and Karachi have intensified in recent weeks, with dozens of individuals reported missing. They accuse Pakistani forces of carrying out “unlawful detentions” and “extrajudicial killings” targeting Baloch activists and civilians.