A man identified by Pakistan’s military as a commander of a Baloch armed group may have been forcibly disappeared weeks before the date officials claim he was arrested, according to family members, rights groups, and travel records reviewed by The Balochistan Post.
In a statement issued on 29 April, the Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) claimed that Fareed, son of Azam, was arrested near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. He was described as the “mastermind” of the 16 March suicide bombing in Noshki and labelled as the “master commander” of the Baloch Liberation Army’s (BLA) Majeed Brigade.
However, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) Noshki had publicly reported Fareed’s disappearance nearly a month earlier, on 18 February, accusing authorities of forcibly detaining him. Family members and official travel documents also contradict the ISPR’s timeline.
According to his family, Fareed had been working in the United Arab Emirates for several years. They said his UAE residency permit was valid until 9 March 2025, and that he returned to Pakistan ahead of its expiry, landing at Quetta Airport on 16 February.
His family said he disappeared shortly after exiting the airport. They lost all contact with him that day and had no information about his whereabouts until ISPR’s announcement more than a month later.
“We were told he would be back after a short break,” a family member said. “Now we’re hearing he has just been arrested. Where was he all this time?”
Legal experts say the timeline discrepancy raises concerns about due process and detention practices.
“If someone is accused of terrorism, they must be tried in a court of law,” said a Quetta-based lawyer. “Enforced disappearances undermine the rule of law.”
As of publication, Fareed has not been presented in court. No visual evidence or legal documentation has been released to support the military’s version of events. ISPR has not responded to follow-up questions about the timeline.
The case adds to a growing list of alleged enforced disappearances in Balochistan, a region affected by years of insurgency, conflict, and human rights concerns. Reports of individuals going missing—often without explanation—or being killed in suspected staged encounters continue to surface regularly.
In a joint statement issued Tuesday, United Nations human rights experts expressed serious concerns over the “excessive and harmful impacts” of Pakistan’s counterterrorism measures in Balochistan.
The experts described the “unrelenting use of enforced disappearances” in Balochistan as “a serious human rights violation and an international crime” and urged Pakistan to establish “independent and effective search and investigation mechanisms.”