Quetta– As the number of enforced disappearances continues to rise across Balochistan, Baloch activists and human rights groups are intensifying calls for international action, accusing Pakistan of waging a sustained campaign of repression in the province.
Mir Yar Baloch, a prominent human rights activist, posted on X Wednesday afternoon that “Baloch people across Pakistan-occupied Balochistan (PoB) are on the streets, and this is their national verdict — Balochistan is not Pakistan. The world can no longer remain a silent spectator.” The statement reflects growing unrest in the region and renewed demands for global pressure on Islamabad.
The Human Rights Department of the Baloch National Movement, known as Paank, condemned what it described as a persistent and systemic policy of enforced disappearances carried out by Pakistani security forces and intelligence agencies. In a statement detailing recent incidents between April and May, Paank reported that five more individuals had been abducted from various districts of Balochistan. The victims include drivers, laborers, and civilians who, according to the organization, were taken from their homes or places of work without any legal process, warrants, or explanation.
Paank noted that victims’ families are left in anguish, with no information about the whereabouts or well-being of their loved ones. The organization emphasized that such disappearances occur under a climate of fear and impunity, with state forces acting beyond judicial oversight. These actions, they said, constitute gross violations of human rights and international law.
The organization called on global bodies, including the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, to demand the immediate release of all forcibly disappeared persons in Balochistan. Paank urged the international community to treat enforced disappearances as crimes against humanity and to hold perpetrators accountable under international legal frameworks.
Last month, Paank released its Balochistan Human Rights Report – March 2025, documenting widespread rights violations in the province. The report highlighted a surge in cases of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial detentions across 15 districts in Balochistan, with incidents also reported in Karachi, Islamabad, Jacobabad, and Dera Ghazi Khan. Quetta and Qalat districts recorded the highest number of disappearances, with 37 cases each. In total, 181 enforced disappearances were reported in March alone.
The report painted a grim picture of state-led repression, suggesting a deliberate and ongoing campaign to suppress dissent in the resource-rich but restive province. Despite mounting evidence and growing protests, activists say the Pakistani government has continued its crackdown with impunity, while the international community has largely remained passive.
As Baloch voices grow louder and street demonstrations continue, rights groups insist that silence is no longer an option. They are demanding concrete global intervention to bring an end to what they describe as a humanitarian crisis unfolding in Balochistan. (Source: IANS)
