The spokesperson for the Baloch Students Council (BSC) Punjab expressed serious concern over and condemned the alleged enforced disappearance of Ammar Baloch, a fifth-semester student in the Department of Social Work at the University of Lahore.
According to the council, Ammar Baloch was detained by Pakistani forces from Moon Market in Lahore’s Iqbal Town at around 11:20 p.m. on 3 September and taken to an undisclosed location. Since his alleged detention, neither his family nor fellow students have been provided with clear information regarding his whereabouts, causing serious concern and distress among his family and the university’s student community.
The spokesperson said Ammar Baloch is pursuing higher education in Lahore, away from his hometown. They said the sudden separation of a young person from his family, friends and academic activities not only affects his educational future but also leaves his family facing severe emotional distress and uncertainty.
The Baloch Students Council Punjab said Ammar Baloch’s case should be viewed in the context of the broader issue of alleged enforced disappearances involving Baloch students, political and social activists, young people and civilians in Balochistan. According to the council, such cases have created an atmosphere of fear, uncertainty and anxiety in Baloch society.
The council said the issue was no longer limited to a few families but had become a broader humanitarian and political issue. Behind every missing person, it said, was a family, a mother holding on to hope, anxious siblings and an entire household whose life had been affected.
The council said that if there were any allegations against Ammar Baloch, he should be presented before a court in accordance with the Constitution and law and given a full opportunity to defend himself. It said transferring any citizen to an undisclosed location without due legal process and judicial oversight raised serious concerns regarding the rule of law and fundamental human rights.
The council further said Baloch students studying at educational institutions should be provided with a safe, peaceful and free academic environment rather than one marked by fear and insecurity. It reiterated that any legal allegations against a Baloch student should be dealt with through transparent legal proceedings before the relevant court.
The spokesperson called on the authorities to immediately disclose Ammar Baloch’s whereabouts, provide his family with complete information and present him before a court if any charges existed against him. The council also called for an end to enforced disappearances and urged that all missing Baloch individuals be safely returned to their families.
The Baloch Students Council Punjab appealed to student organisations, lawyers, human rights organisations, journalists and civil society to raise their voices for Ammar Baloch’s safe recovery and express solidarity with his family.