Eighteen, including two students, forcibly taken by Pakistani forces in Balochistan

Balochistan [Pakistan], October 20 (ANI): A minimum of eighteen individuals, including two students, have reportedly been apprehended by Pakistani armed forces during a series of operations in Quetta, Panjgur, Kharan, and Mastung districts of Balochistan and taken to undisclosed locations, local sources reported on Saturday, as mentioned by The Balochistan Post (TBP).

Reports indicate that two Baloch students were detained late Friday night from their home in the Essa Nagri area of Quetta's Brewery locality. Witnesses claimed that military personnel invaded their room and arrested both without a warrant, as reported by TBP.

Wahab, a 17-year-old from Sardasht, Kulanch (Pasni), who was studying intermediate in Quetta, and Nazeer, a Bachelor of Nursing student residing in Isplinji, Mastung, were the detained students. Baloch student organisations and human rights activists have condemned these arrests, labelling them as part of a "tragic pattern" of enforced disappearances aimed at students and young professionals in Balochistan.

In the Panjgur district, nine men were forcibly taken during various overnight raids in the Bonistan, Choongi Sar, Garamkan, and Essa areas. Residents reported that Pakistani armed forces conducted raids on several homes in Bonistan's Choongi Sar. In a separate incident in Panjgur's Garamkan area, Pakistani forces detained Hameed, son of Haji Zafar, and took him to an unknown location. Families stated that all nine men were taken without explanation and have not been heard from since. They have appealed to authorities to reveal the detainees' locations and ensure their swift release, according to the TBP report.

In Kharan's Maskan Kalat area, four young men were apprehended after Pakistani forces surrounded their homes around 1:45 a.m. Reports indicate that in the Mastung district, Pakistani forces conducted raids on the night of October 18, storming multiple residences in Killi Karak around 2 a.m. and detaining three young men.

Human rights organisations have consistently criticised the increase in enforced disappearances throughout Balochistan, accusing Pakistani armed forces of acting with impunity. They argue that the prevailing culture of impunity surrounding these detentions is intensifying mistrust and alienation amongst the Baloch populace, as reported by TBP.

Recently, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and other monitoring groups denounced the rising instances of disappearances, deeming them clear violations of both legal and ethical standards. The HRCP, in a recent findings report, cautioned that enforced disappearances in Balochistan "continue unabated," undermining public trust and exacerbating instability in the region, according to the TBP report. (ANI)

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