Two Baloch men were allegedly forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces from different areas, while 15 others who had previously gone missing have been released and returned to their homes, families and local sources said.
The two men, Abdul Sattar and Abdul Salam, are residents of Manguchar in Balochistan’s Kalat district. Their families said the men had been working in agriculture in the Sindh city of Sukkur when they were taken away by Pakistani forces and transferred to an undisclosed location. Their whereabouts remain unknown.
Meanwhile, 15 men who had been missing for several weeks were released and returned to their families, relatives and local sources said.
Those released included Amjad Baloch of Gwadar; Dr Rashid; Rustam Khan, son of Abdul Hadi Qambrani; Halal Dad, son of Dadullah, a resident of Tump; Irfan Hussain, son of Hair Khan; Shahnawaz, son of Rehmat; Javed Juma, son of Juma Khan; Zahoor Ahmed, son of Fateh Khan; Zahid Ahmed, son of Zheri Khan; Abdul Malik, son of Allah Bakhsh; Bashir Ahmed, son of Zheri Khan; Arif Baloch; Zameer Ahmed, son of Abdul Wahid; and Gajiyan, a resident of Gresha in Khuzdar.
Families said all of those released had disappeared from different parts of Balochistan in November and December.
Human rights groups say people in Balochistan are frequently detained without charge and some later released without legal explanation, a practice they describe as contributing to a “climate of impunity” which they argue has fuelled alienation among the Baloch population.