The Baloch Students Organisation-Azad (BSO-Azad) has called on the international community and human rights organisations to take action regarding alleged enforced disappearances in Balochistan, urging them to hold Pakistan accountable for what it described as serious human rights violations.
In a statement issued on the occasion of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, BSO-Azad spokesperson Sholan Baloch alleged that enforced disappearances remain one of the most significant issues facing the Baloch population and accused Pakistani military and intelligence agencies of carrying out arbitrary detentions across the region.
According to the organisation, more than 800 people, including students, political activists, teachers, doctors, labourers, shopkeepers and other civilians, were allegedly subjected to enforced disappearance during the first half of 2026. The group stated that the reported victims included women, children, elderly individuals and young people.
The organisation further claimed that individuals have been detained from homes, workplaces, educational institutions and while travelling, alleging that the practice has had a widespread impact on families and communities throughout Balochistan.
BSO-Azad also alleged that many individuals who remain missing are being held in undisclosed detention facilities, where they face physical and psychological abuse. The organisation claimed that some detainees have died in custody or have been killed in extrajudicial operations, while the whereabouts of others remain unknown.
The student organisation said several of its senior members, including former chairman Zahid Baloch, vice chairman Zakir Majeed, joint general secretary Asad Baloch and spokesperson Shabir Baloch, remain among those it considers victims of enforced disappearance. It also referred to other missing political activists, including Wahid Kambar Baloch and Dr Deen Mohammad Baloch.
In its statement, BSO-Azad urged international institutions and human rights bodies to investigate the allegations and take what it described as meaningful measures to address the issue.
The issue of enforced disappearances remains a longstanding point of contention in Balochistan, with rights groups, activists and families of missing persons continuing to demand information regarding the whereabouts of those who remain unaccounted for. While Pakistani authorities have repeatedly rejected allegations of involvement in enforced disappearances and maintain that security operations are conducted in accordance with the law.