Mahmood Hashim, a resident of Jaen, Parom, in Panjgur district, has allegedly been forcibly disappeared for the third time after being taken into custody by Pakistani forces.
According to his family members, Mahmood Hashim was allegedly forcibly disappeared on October 2 after being detained in Dazi, Panjgur, by Frontier Corps (FC) personnel and a state-backed armed group locally referred to by residents as a “death squad”.
Family members said Mahmood had previously been detained on March 16 and June 3, 2021, but was later released on both occasions.
The family has appealed to human rights organisations to play a role in securing Mahmood Hashim’s recovery.
The incident comes amid continuing reports of raids, detentions and alleged enforced disappearances in different parts of Balochistan. Families, human rights organisations and political groups have repeatedly alleged that individuals are detained by Pakistani forces and allied armed groups and subsequently held incommunicado, allegations that Pakistani authorities have denied in many cases.
Local rights organisations and families of missing persons have long argued that a significant number of cases are reported months or even years after the alleged disappearances due to fear, security concerns and social pressures, meaning the full scale of the issue may not be immediately reflected in publicly available records.
Pakistani authorities have not commented on the allegations regarding Mahmood Hashim’s reported disappearance at the time of publication.