At least eighteen people, including two students, have reportedly been detained by Pakistani armed forces in a series of raids across Quetta, Panjgur, Kharan, and Mastung districts of Balochistan and taken to undisclosed locations, local sources said on Saturday.
According to reports, two Baloch students — Wahab Baloch and Nazeer Baloch — were taken into custody late Friday night from their residence in the Essa Nagri area of Quetta’s Brewery locality. Witnesses said military personnel raided their room and detained both without a warrant.
Sources said 17-year-old Wahab, from Sardasht, Kulanch (Pasni), was pursuing intermediate studies in Quetta, while Nazeer, a resident of Isplinji, Mastung, is a Bachelor of Nursing student at a private institution.
Baloch student organisations and human rights activists condemned the detentions, describing them as part of a “tragic pattern” of enforced disappearances targeting students and young professionals in Balochistan.
Meanwhile, in Panjgur district, local sources said that nine men were forcibly disappeared during separate overnight raids in the Bonistan, Choongi Sar, Garamkan, and Essa areas.
According to residents, Pakistani armed forces raided several homes in Bonistan’s Choongi Sar, detaining Zaheer, Hasil, Ehsan, Siraj, Saeedullah, and one unidentified person. Two others — Sakim, son of Ali, of Sourg Essa, and Jahanzeb, son of Ali Jan, of Essa Sand Sar — were also taken from their homes.
Separately, in Panjgur’s Garamkan area, Pakistani forces detained Hameed, son of Haji Zafar, and transferred him to an unknown location.
Families said all nine men were taken without explanation and have not been heard from since. They urged authorities to disclose the detainees’ whereabouts and ensure their immediate release.
In Kharan’s Maskan Kalat area, four young men were detained after Pakistani forces surrounded homes around 1:45 a.m.
One of those taken was identified as Jahangir, son of Muhammad Hassan, the younger brother of Balochistan National Party (BNP) member Najeeb Hasanabadi. Two brothers from the same household were previously abducted during an operation in 2013, Najeeb was released after seven months, while Babu Hassan remained in custody for six years before being released.
Another detainee, Ahmad Shah, is the brother of Mehmood Shah, who has been missing since 2013. The third was identified as the son of Mir Ghulam Jan Mengal of Killi Tump, while the fourth, Bawal Khan, is also a local resident.
In Mastung district, Pakistani forces reportedly carried out raids on the night of 18 October, storming several homes in Killi Karak around 2 a.m. and detaining three young men.
They were identified as Liaquat, son of Muhammad Sharif; Aqeel, son of Ghaus Bakhsh; and Irfan, a resident of Piringabad. Their families said the men have been missing since the raids.
Human rights groups have repeatedly criticised the surge in enforced disappearances across Balochistan, accusing Pakistani armed forces of operating with impunity. They say the culture of impunity surrounding these detentions is deepening mistrust and alienation among Baloch people.
Recently, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and other watchdogs condemned the growing number of disappearances, calling them clear violations of legal and ethical norms. The HRCP, in a recent fact-finding report, warned that enforced disappearances in Balochistan “continue unabated,” eroding public confidence and fuelling instability in the region.
Pakistani authorities have neither confirmed nor denied the allegations. Officials typically refrain from public comment, while Baloch and international human-rights organisations accuse the country’s military and intelligence agencies of being behind the disappearances.