Pakistani forces and secretive agencies allegedly forcibly disappeared two Baloch students from Quetta, the capital city of Balochistan.
According to reports, two Baloch students, Faheem Ahmed, son of Saeed Ahmed, and Khadim Ali, son of Ali Ahmed, were allegedly forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces along with intelligence agency personnel from the Samungli Road area of Quetta. The incident reportedly took place at around 1 a.m. on the night between Friday and Saturday.
Both Faheem Ahmed and Khadim Ali are FSC (intermediate) students, and their sudden disappearance has sparked concern among human rights activists and the Baloch community.
In protest against their enforced disappearance, their families have blocked the Quetta-Karachi National Highway near Johan Cross Bazaar in Mangochar area and are staging a sit-in. Due to the protest, hundreds of vehicles and passengers on both sides of the road have been stranded.
The families claim that this morning, FC (Frontier Corps) attempted to forcibly end the sit-in. When protesters resisted, Pakistani forces detained another protester, Qudratullah, and forcibly disappeared him as well, they claimed.
The demonstrators have vowed that their protest will continue until their loved ones are recovered.
In a similar incident, a Mastung resident reportedly forcibly disappeared two days earlier.
According to reports, Salman, son of Ghulam Mustafa, a resident of Khashin Khair, Mastung, was forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces two days ago while returning from Mangochar to Mastung.
According to his family, Salman is a farmer who had gone to Mangochar to meet a friend but was disappeared on his way back.
Meanwhile, Aqil Jaleel, a resident of Panjgur Washbod, has returned home after being released. He was forcibly disappeared by allegedly Pakistani forces last week and was recovered after his family staged a four-day-long protest.
It’s pertinent to mention that cases of enforced disappearances in Balochistan are not uncommon and have been on the rise. However, this year has seen a surge in both enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, further intensifying fears among citizens in the region.
Human rights organizations have repeatedly called for an end to such practices, urging Pakistani authorities to ensure justice and accountability. Despite these appeals, incidents of forced abductions continue to be reported, leaving families in distress and uncertainty.