A police officer deployed at Karachi Airport’s security and a student have been reportedly forcibly disappeared from their residence.
According to reports, Pakistani security forces reportedly detained two individuals from Karachi’s Gulshan-e-Iqbal area and moved them to an undisclosed location. Since then, neither young man has been seen.
The disappeared individuals include Hatim Bizenjo, a student at SM Law College Karachi, and ASI Dilwash Baloch of the Airport Security Force. According to their close associates, both men were taken by plainclothes personnel from a house in Gulshan-e-Iqbal without any explanation. Their families have expressed concerns about their well-being and are demanding justice.
The families revealed that they approached local police to register an FIR against the incident but were refused.
It is noteworthy that enforced disappearances have alarmingly increased in recent months across Balochistan and other regions. Recent statistics indicate that over 110 individuals were forcibly disappeared in October this year, while reports suggest more than 90 such cases have already been recorded in November.
Following intensified attacks by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) this year, the Pakistani government has decided to launch a full-scale military operation in Balochistan. Particularly after last month’s suicide attack near Karachi Airport targeting a convoy of Chinese engineers and investors, Pakistani forces have accelerated their operations in Baloch-dominated areas.
During these operations, many people from various regions of Balochistan have been subjected to enforced disappearances. This month alone, military operations in Balochistan led to the arrest and disappearance of 40 individuals from Kalat and 8 from Nushki. Their families claim no information has been provided about their whereabouts by the authorities.
Furthermore, military operations and incidents of enforced disappearances have been reported in Kech district and surrounding areas, with operations ongoing in various parts of Balochistan.
Political and human rights organisations in Balochistan have long warned that the Pakistani government and institutions may target ordinary citizens under the pretext of military operations. These organisations have called on international communities and institutions to take notice of these incidents and hold Pakistan accountable.