Two teenage girls from Kech district, who rights groups and family members say were previously subjected to enforced disappearance, were presented by the Balochistan government as alleged suicide bombers during a press conference in Quetta, prompting objections from their relatives and advocacy organisations.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Balochistan Home Minister Ziaullah Langove said security forces had foiled a suspected suicide bombing plot allegedly linked to the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which the government refers to as “Fitna al-Hindustan”. He stated that two girls, identified by authorities as 16-year-old Zainab and 12-year-old Fatima, had been recovered during an intelligence-based operation and were allegedly being prepared for a suicide attack.
However, family members and the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) disputed the government’s account, claiming that the girls are 17-year-old Shahnaz Baloch, daughter of Arif Essa, and 14-year-old Sharanaz, daughter of Ejaz, both students from the Singabad Karki area of Kech district.
According to the family and the BYC, the two girls were first detained on 18 June and remained missing for more than a month before being released on 25 July. They allege that Frontier Corps (FC) and Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) personnel raided the family’s home at approximately 3 am on 28 July and detained Shahnaz, Sharanaz and several members of their family.
Relatives said those taken into custody included Shahnaz’s father, Arif Essa, her mother, brother Moheem, two sisters and an aunt. According to the family, the mother, brother, sisters and aunt were later released, while no information was provided regarding the whereabouts of Shahnaz, Sharanaz or Arif Essa.
The family has rejected the names and ages provided by the home minister, alleging that the two girls were presented before the media under different identities after remaining in state custody since their detention in July.
The BYC also challenged the official version of events, alleging that the girls had been subjected to enforced disappearance and later presented in what it described as a forced press conference. The organisation called for greater scrutiny of official claims regarding missing persons in Balochistan and urged families to document and register cases of alleged enforced disappearance.
The committee further stated that Arif Essa, a PTCL tower operator, remains missing. It also alleged that both girls had previously experienced enforced disappearance before their latest detention.
Separately, the Baloch Women Forum condemned the alleged detention of the two girls and their father, describing it as a serious violation of fundamental rights. The organisation called for the immediate disclosure of their whereabouts and their safe release, or alternatively for any allegations against them to be addressed through due process and an independent court.
Family members have also linked the case to an earlier incident involving Shahnaz’s husband, 18-year-old Asif Baloch, who they allege was killed in a shooting on 8 March by a locally operating government-backed militia. The BYC had previously described the incident as a “death squad” attack.
The development comes days after the Balochistan government placed nine Baloch women on a wanted list and announced financial rewards for information leading to their arrest.
Pakistani authorities have not publicly responded to the family’s claims regarding their alleged disappearance or the dispute over their identities.
The case has renewed debate over longstanding allegations by rights groups and families in Balochistan concerning enforced disappearances and the subsequent presentation of detainees before the media in connection with alleged militant activities, claims that Pakistani authorities have consistently denied.