A schoolteacher with disabilities in Karachi and a young man in Balochistan’s Panjgur district have reportedly been forcibly disappeared, while the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) has demanded the recovery of three female family members taken at the Lak Pass checkpoint near Quetta.
Local sources said Allah Bakhsh, son of Basham, was detained during a raid in Karachi’s Maripur area late on Saturday night. He has disabilities affecting both legs and has been associated with the Tekkri Education Centre for the past 10 years, where he currently serves as head of the institution.
Sources said Sindh Rangers raided his residence at around 4:00am and detained him, before releasing him a short while later. They said he was taken away again about an hour later, after which his family and colleagues lost contact with him.
The Human Rights Council of Balochistan (HRCB) said in a statement that Allah Bakhsh Basham had been forcibly disappeared from Tekkri village, Maripur.
The rights group said Allah Bakhsh had been providing free education through the Tekkri Education Centre to children who could not otherwise afford schooling.
It called on the Government of Pakistan to immediately disclose his whereabouts and produce him before a court if there were any allegations against him.
“Enforced disappearance is a heinous crime,” the HRCB said, adding that the practice had devastated families and communities and caused lasting fear, trauma and suffering.
Separately, a young man identified as Shehbaz, son of Haji Khan Mohammad, was reportedly forcibly disappeared from the Tasp area of Panjgur district.
His family said Pakistani forces surrounded their home at around midnight on Sunday, conducted a search and took Shehbaz away to an undisclosed location.
They said no information had been provided about the reason for his detention or his current whereabouts, and demanded that he be produced before a court if any allegation existed against him.
Meanwhile, the VBMP protest camp outside the Quetta Press Club continued for the 6,314th day on Sunday.
Jumma Khan Nechari attended the camp and submitted details regarding the alleged enforced disappearance of his wife, Bibi Rafia, his daughter, Tania, and his granddaughter, Javeria.
Read More: Three Baloch Women From Same Family Forcibly Disappeared Near Quetta, Family Says
VBMP Chairman Nasrullah Baloch assured him that the cases would be presented on Monday before the missing persons commission, the Balochistan government and the deputy registrar of the commission’s Balochistan chapter.
He said the VBMP would raise its voice for their safe recovery at every constitutional and legal forum.
Nasrullah Baloch called on Pakistani authorities to ensure the immediate recovery of all forcibly disappeared women, including Bibi Rafia, Tania and Javeria. He said that if they faced any allegations, they should be produced before a court in accordance with the law.
He warned that the VBMP would intensify its protest if the enforced disappearances of Baloch women continued.