Reports of alleged enforced disappearances and subsequent releases continue to surface from different parts of Balochistan, with five new cases reported in Quetta and Barkhan while five previously missing individuals have reportedly returned home.
According to local sources, two teenage boys — 15-year-old Sarfaraz Baloch, son of Muhammad Khan, and 15-year-old Rehan Baloch, son of Sultan Baloch — were reportedly taken into custody during late-night raids on Airport Road in Quetta on May 6. Family members alleged that Pakistani security personnel entered their home at around 1:00am and transferred both boys to an undisclosed location.
In a separate case, 21-year-old student Muibullah, son of Abdul Baqi and a resident of Kardgap in Mastung district, was reportedly detained on April 12 from Munir Ahmed Road in Quetta. Relatives alleged that personnel associated with the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) were involved in the detention. His whereabouts remain unknown.
Meanwhile, in Barkhan district, two men were reportedly taken from their homes during the early hours of May 3. They were identified as 41-year-old Ghulam Rasool, son of Haji Nizamuddin, a retired official of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), and 47-year-old Abdullah Jan, son of Haji Nizamuddin. Family members alleged that CTD personnel detained both men, after which no further information regarding their whereabouts was made available.
Alongside the new disappearance cases, reports of the return of several previously missing individuals have also surfaced.
According to local sources, Abdul Ghaffar Baloch and Ali Raza Baloch, who had reportedly gone missing from Brewery Road in Quetta on April 28, were released on May 5.
Similarly, three men, Lal Khan Qambrani, Munawar Qambrani, and Siraj Qambrani, who had allegedly disappeared from Qambrani Road in Quetta on April 24, were reportedly recovered on Airport Road on May 4.
There has been no official statement from Pakistani authorities regarding the reported detentions, releases, or the allegations made by the families and local activists.
Local and international human rights organisations have repeatedly raised concerns over reports of enforced disappearances in Balochistan. Pakistani officials have consistently denied any policy of unlawful detentions.