On the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, eight human rights and civil society organizations accused Pakistani authorities of systematically failing to end the practice and provide truth, justice and reparations to victims and their families.
In a joint statement released on Saturday, the groups urged Islamabad to “immediately end the practice of enforced disappearances” and ensure that all those suspected of criminal responsibility are brought before ordinary civilian courts in fair trials. They also called for disclosure of the fate and whereabouts of the disappeared and reparations for their families.
“Delayed justice has created an environment of impunity, underlining human rights in the country,” the organizations said. The signatories include Amnesty International, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), the Defence of Human Rights (DHR), the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), and other regional groups.
The statement said enforced disappearances continue to be routinely used by Pakistani authorities as a tool to target dissidents and human rights defenders, with thousands of cases documented by local civil society organizations.
According to DHR, more than 3,100 cases have been recorded since 2006, with 1,362 victims still missing. The BYC said it recorded 546 cases between January and July 2025, while PTM and the Voice for Missing Persons of Sindh reported 133 and 40 cases respectively.
Official figures from the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances (COIED) show that 10,592 cases were registered between 2010 and August 2025. Of these, 1,017 were sent to internment centres, 4,776 individuals returned home, 706 were located in prisons, and 293 were found dead. At least 1,837 cases remain unresolved, with 140 new cases reported this year alone.
The groups criticised the COIED for failing to provide meaningful remedies. While it has issued more than 700 production orders directing authorities to present disappeared persons in court, only a handful have been enforced. Families have in some cases waited more than six years without results, while no prosecutions have been brought in any cases referred to the commission.
The statement also said Pakistan has failed to criminalize enforced disappearances under domestic law and has not ratified the UN Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (CPED) or the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. They also pointed to recent amendments to the Anti-Terrorism Act, the Army Act and the Official Secrets Act, which they said provide “legal cover” for arbitrary detention and secrecy.
Families of the disappeared and activists campaigning for their return have also faced reprisals. Peaceful protests are often subjected to surveillance, harassment and threats, while campaigners have been arbitrarily arrested or dispersed with force, the groups said.
The joint statement said that the practice violates both Pakistan’s Constitution and its obligations under international law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention Against Torture.
The organizations issued a series of recommendations, including the immediate disclosure of the fate and whereabouts of disappeared persons and the release of those held in secret custody or internment centres. They called for the criminalization of enforced disappearances in domestic law, the abolition of military courts, and the repeal of laws that provide cover for arbitrary detention.
The statement also urged Pakistan to ratify the UN Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (CPED) and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, and to reform the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances. The groups said a new Truth and Reconciliation Commission should be established with the participation of victims’ families to provide justice, closure and reparations.