The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Balochistan on Thursday claimed that Sajid Ahmed, a student who had been reported missing since December last year, had been arrested on terrorism-related charges, an assertion made weeks after his family said he was forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces.
Speaking at a press conference in Quetta alongside Balochistan’s Additional Chief Secretary for Home Affairs Hamza Shafqat, CTD DIG Eiaz Goraya stated that Sajid Ahmed was apprehended while allegedly transporting a “large quantity of weapons” from Panjgur to Turbat. The official further claimed that Ahmed was involved in disseminating material linked to outlawed organisations on social media.
According to the CTD, another individual, identified as Jahanzeb Mehrban, was also taken into custody on allegations of conducting reconnaissance and facilitating financial support, while an 18-year-old boy was reportedly recruited by him for the same purposes. The department additionally claimed that a third individual, Sarfaraz, a resident of Kharan, was arrested during subsequent operations.
During the briefing, DIG Goraya said that Sajid Ahmed had previously served as a teacher at the University of Turbat. He also alleged, without providing details or evidence, that Ahmed’s sister-in-law had been involved in activities linked to the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC).
Notably, the CTD did not clarify where or when Sajid Ahmed was arrested, nor did officials explain his whereabouts during the weeks he was listed as a missing person.
Sajid Ahmed, a graduate and scholar of Islamic International University Islamabad with a known interest in Balochi literature, was reported missing in December last year after being taken into custody from Panjgur. His family had consistently maintained that he was forcibly disappeared while returning home, expressing grave concern over his safety and wellbeing.
Human rights groups and families of missing persons have long accused security agencies in Balochistan of detaining individuals without due process and later presenting them in criminal cases. Balochistan has witnessed multiple documented cases in which previously disappeared persons were either shown as arrested long after their disappearance or killed in alleged encounters.
Despite the serious nature of the allegations announced on Thursday, no independent verification of the CTD’s claims was provided during the press conference, and no information was shared regarding judicial remand or access to legal counsel for the accused.