A fresh wave of enforced disappearances has emerged from Balochistan and Karachi, with multiple individuals allegedly taken into custody by Pakistani security forces and subsequently unaccounted for, according to local sources and families.
According to reports, two students were reportedly detained on April 5 in the Paroom area of Panjgur district. Family members identified them as 17-year-old Hatim, son of Haji Mohammad, and 18-year-old Marwan, son of Hamza, both residents of Shaptaan. Sources said personnel of the Frontier Corps (FC) took the pair into custody at around 5pm and transferred them to an undisclosed location. Their whereabouts remain unknown.
Separately, in Surab district, local sources claimed that more than 25 individuals were detained during a series of raids conducted by Pakistani forces at various locations. The identities of those taken into custody have not been made public. Residents also alleged that authorities ordered the evacuation of homes near a Frontier Corps (FC) camp, with some claiming they were warned of consequences if they did not vacate the area.
In Karachi’s Lyari neighbourhood, a young man identified by his family as Sultan Saeed was reportedly detained a day earlier from Gul Mohammad Lane. Relatives said he was taken by Pakistani forces personnel to an undisclosed location and has not been heard from since. They added that he had previously been detained in January 2021 and remained missing for nearly two years before returning.
There has been no immediate official response to these claims.
It should be noted that enforced disappearances of Baloch individuals are not uncommon and continue to be reported on a daily basis. Human rights organisations have repeatedly expressed concern over allegations of enforced disappearances in Balochistan, calling for greater transparency and due process.