Baloch student's enforced disappearance in Lahore exposes Pakistan's grim rights record

Balochistan [Pakistan], September 8 (ANI): The enforced disappearance of a Baloch student in Lahore has triggered concern among student circles, with the Baloch Students Council (BSC) Punjab calling on Pakistani authorities to disclose his whereabouts and ensure due legal process, as reported by The Balochistan Post.

According to The Balochistan Post, the BSC Punjab spokesperson said Ammar Baloch, a fifth-semester student in the Department of Social Work at the University of Lahore, was allegedly detained by Pakistani forces from Moon Market in Iqbal Town on September 3. He was reportedly taken to an undisclosed location.

Since the detention, Ammar’s family and fellow students have not received clear information about his whereabouts. The uncertainty has reportedly intensified anxiety among his relatives and members of the university community.

The student council said Ammar had travelled away from his hometown to Lahore to pursue higher education and argued that his alleged disappearance had disrupted both his academic life and family relationships. It said the uncertainty surrounding his fate was causing significant emotional distress to those close to him.

The BSC Punjab also placed the case within what it described as a wider pattern of alleged enforced disappearances involving Baloch students, activists, young people and civilians. The council stated that repeated cases of disappearance had contributed to an atmosphere of fear and insecurity among Baloch communities.

The council maintained that the issue extended beyond individual families, describing enforced disappearances as a wider humanitarian and political concern. It stated that if authorities had allegations against Ammar, he should be produced before a court and allowed to defend himself under Pakistani law, as highlighted by The Balochistan Post.

The council argued that detaining a citizen at an undisclosed location without transparent legal proceedings or judicial oversight raised serious questions about fundamental rights and the rule of law, as reported by The Balochistan Post. (ANI) 

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