Fifteen previously forcibly disappeared persons have returned home in Balochistan’s Quetta and Mastung regions, according to local sources. While families celebrate these recoveries, alarming new reports of enforced disappearances continue to emerge from Balochistan and Karachi, pointing to a sustained campaign of abductions allegedly carried out by Pakistani security forces.
Recovered Individuals
Sources confirmed that the following individuals, abducted at different times, have now safely returned to their homes:
- Khaleel Ahmed
- Abdullah Kurd
- Shafi Mohammad Sasoli
- Ahmed Khan Bangulzai
- Zahoor Ahmed Rind
- Habib ur Rehman Lango
- Rizwan Shahwani
- Palach Shahwani
- Basit Shahwani
- Mohammad Arif Jatak
- Gul Meer Smalani
- Mohammad Zakariya Kurd
- Umair Ahmed Kurd
- Yasir Sarangzai
- Advocate Attaullah Baloch, General Secretary of the District Bar Association, Mastung
Their recoveries were confirmed by close associates and family members.
Ongoing Disappearances and Abuses
Despite these positive developments, the situation across Balochistan and Karachi remains grim, as more cases of abductions were reported by the families and local sources who accuse Pakistani law enforcement forces.
As per reports:
- Awaran (Jhao): Pakistani forces conducted a night raid, abducting Hanif, son of Aziz. His tortured body was found the following day.
- Turbat (District Kech): On 21 May, Moheeb Ullah, a Zambad driver from Seher Gishkor, was taken into custody and remains missing.
- Gwadar (Door area): Armed personnel raided a home, abducting Hameel, son of Shoukat, and allegedly looting valuables during the operation.
- Awaran (Jhao Kengrai): Sultan, son of Khair Bakhsh, has been missing for two days; locals suspect military involvement.
- Chaghi to Noshki Route: Three men—Hussain Ahmed, Mohammad Ramzan, and Mohammad Dawood—have disappeared while travelling. Their phones are off, and families fear abduction.
- Kolwah (Gaddagi-Kilkore): On 14 May, Peer Dad Hakeem and Sadiq Wajdad were forcibly disappeared while en route to Kolwah.
- Karachi (Mari Pur and Klairi):
- A late-night operation led to the disappearance of four individuals, including brothers Shiraz and Selaan (sons of Sabir), and Baba (son of Fazal). One more person was taken, but remains unidentified.
- In another raid, 15-year-old ninth-grade student Shayan Mir was abducted.
- A day earlier, Balach Baloch, a member of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), was seized from Malir and remains missing.
- Quetta (Midnight raid):
- Armed personnel stormed a residence and forcibly abducted Aimal Aurangzeb, a middle-school student and elder brother of a teenage human rights activist, Fatima Baloch. Eyewitnesses described violent conduct and mistreatment of the family during the raid.
Human rights organisations and local observers report an intensifying pattern of enforced disappearances across Balochistan and Karachi. Witness accounts frequently cite aggressive home invasions, physical abuse, and the abduction of individuals without legal warrant or due process. Several disappearances have reportedly ended in custodial killings under the guise of “fake encounters.”
The abduction of minors, such as 15-year-old students Aimal Aurangzeb and Shayan Mir, has particularly shocked social circles. Commentators argue these actions are retaliatory, particularly targeting families outspoken against state excesses.
Enforced disappearances have plagued Balochistan for over two decades, with thousands allegedly abducted by state agencies. According to reports, despite repeated calls from international human rights bodies, Pakistan’s security operations in the region continue with total impunity.