Dozens of Baloch men have allegedly been forcibly disappeared across Balochistan and parts of Karachi in recent days, while multiple bodies were recovered from remote areas of Kalat and Khuzdar, deepening concerns over what activists describe as an escalating pattern of abductions followed by extrajudicial killings.
Families of the victims, activists and residents accuse Pakistani armed forces, intelligence agencies and state-backed militias of carrying out the disappearances and killings. Pakistani authorities have not commented on the allegations.
Two Reko Diq Employees Taken Off Company Vehicles in Chagai
Two Baloch employees of the Reko Diq mining project were taken into custody by personnel of Pakistani intelligence agencies and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in Chagai district and moved to an undisclosed location, according to local sources.
The first incident occurred on Saturday when Mehrullah Moosazai Baloch was taken off a company vehicle at Tozghi while travelling home on leave. A second employee, Asif Mandozai Baloch, was taken off a Reko Diq company bus on Sunday. Witnesses said security personnel stopped the bus, checked identity cards of all employees and took Asif away.
Local employees said the company does not provide security to Baloch staff, alleging discriminatory practices in which workers from Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore are flown home by air, while Baloch employees are transported by road. They said the disappearances have reinforced fears that Baloch workers are being โdeliberately targeted and pushed outโ of the project.
Wave of Forced Disappearances Across Multiple Districts
Reports from Dera Bugti, Panjgur, Kech, Gwadar and Karachi indicate that more than two dozen people were detained and forcibly disappeared over the past week.
In Dera Bugti, Pakistani armed forces raided multiple neighbourhoods and detained over 15 people. Nine have been identified so far, including Qasair Rehan Bugti, Jeha Khan Bugti, Khan Bugti, Shabeer Sohbat Bugti, Mangal Ghulam Bakhsh Bugti, Hassan Ali Sher Bugti, Rasheed Jan Mohammad Bugti, Nowroz Nihal Bugti and Islam Ramzan Bugti. All have been shifted to undisclosed locations.
In Panjgur, three individuals identified as Nazeer Baloch, Beebgar Baloch and Attaullah Baloch were detained by Pakistani forces and transferred to an undisclosed location while travelling with their families toward Parom. Witnesses said children from the families were also taken for questioning and later disappeared.
In a separate raid in Panjgur, Pakistani forces detained Bilal, son of Abdul Wahid, from his shop in Chitkan Bazaar, the main commercial area of Panjgur. According to local sources, he was taken into custody at around 4.30 pm on Thursday and transferred to an unknown location. His family said no information about his condition or whereabouts has been provided since the detention.
In Gwadarโs Shadi Kaur area, armed men arrived in multiple vehicles late on Sunday night and took away two men identified as Sardil Khan, son of Sher Khan, and Hatir, son of Mir Dost. Sardil was taken from his home, while Hatir was seized from nearby fields. Both men remain missing.
In another incident, Sanaullah Baloch, son of Deen Muhammad, was taken into custody at the Talaar checkpoint in Gwadar.
In Kech district, several men, including Sohail Baloch, Jangiyan, Peer Jan and Abid, were taken during raids in Buleda, Hoshap, Balicha, Singabad Kirki and Gworkop.
At around 1 a.m. in Surab, armed men in civilian clothes entered the home of Muhammad Aslam and detained his son, Muhammad Shoaib.
In Karachi, two Baloch men identified as Peer Jan and Abid Balochv were taken from Mauripur in an operation reportedly carried out by personnel of Military Intelligence (MI) and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Families in all locations say they have received no information on the whereabouts of the detainees.
Multiple Bullet-Riddled Bodies Recovered
In Kalat district, several bodies have been recovered from remote areas in recent days.
Police said two unidentified bodies were found earlier this week and shifted to the hospital for identification. On Sunday, two more bodies were recovered from the foot of Badrang mountain in Manguchar. They were identified as Qutub Ali, son of Muhammad Akbar, and Ali Muhammad, son of Muhammad Hayat.
Human rights activists say that, in recent weeks, an increasing number of bodies recovered across Balochistan have been identified as individuals previously forcibly disappeared by Pakistani armed forces or state-backed armed groups. They warned that the latest cases may follow the same pattern.
Turbat: Youth Dies After Torture in Custody
In a separate incident in Turbat, a teenage boy died after being released from Pakistani forcesโ custody in critical condition.
Local residents said forces raided a house in Dasht Kunchtii on Thursday night and detained Ajaz, known locally as Deenul. His family said he was handed back to them the next afternoon with severe injuries and swelling in his legs. He was taken to a hospital in Turbat and later prepared for transfer to Karachi, but died during treatment.
Residents said multiple young men have died in similar circumstances in recent years after allegedly being tortured in custody.
BYC Says Forcibly Disappeared Man Was Extrajudicially Killed
Meanwhile, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) said in a statement that Ismail Baloch, son of Elahi Bakhsh and a resident of Baghbana, Khuzdar, was abducted on 18 November by armed members of a state-backed โdeath squadโ operating along the RCD highway in Surab.
According to the group, Ismail was detained, taken to an unknown location and his body was recovered the following day in Baghbana bearing multiple bullet wounds.
โThe killing of Ismail Baloch is yet another example of the ongoing pattern of enforced disappearances, custodial torture and extrajudicial executions,โ the BYC said.
Pakistani authorities have not issued any public statement regarding the allegations.