The Human Rights Council of Balochistan (HRCB) has released its biannual review of the human rights situation in the region, covering the period from January to June 2025.
According to the report, 814 cases of enforced disappearance were documented in the first six months of the year, a figure that HRCB says is nearly equal to the total number recorded during all of 2024. Those affected include students, political activists, labourers and civilians.
The organisation further reported that at least 131 people were killed without trial in the same period, allegedly through custodial torture, encounters, and military operations.
The HRCB stated that the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), a peaceful protest movement, has faced increasing pressure. Its leaders have been detained, demonstrations dispersed, and homes raided, while smear campaigns were reportedly used to discredit the group.
The report also highlighted the passage in June of an amendment to the Anti-Terrorism Act by the Balochistan provincial assembly. The changes grant security agencies broader powers, including the authority to arrest without a warrant, detain individuals for up to 90 days without trial, and establish “de-radicalisation centres” which, the HRCB argues, function as internment cells.
The organisation drew attention to individual cases, including the death of 13-year-old protester Nehmat Baloch, who was reportedly shot during police action on a sit-in.
The HRCB said its findings demonstrate a pattern of repression and impunity, and it reiterated calls for both national and international human rights bodies to take urgent notice of the situation.
The full report is available on the HRCB’s website.