Baloch survivor of enforced disappearance again under threat, exposing ongoing accountability gaps in Pakistan

Balochistan [Pakistan], November 21 (ANI): The family of Abdul Hameed Zehri, a Baloch man who vanished for 31 months before being freed in a severely weakened state, says he is once again in danger of being forcibly disappeared.

His daughter Saeeda stated that unidentified men in civilian clothes have been approaching their home repeatedly, showing his photograph and demanding to know where he is, as reported by The Balochistan Post.

According to The Balochistan Post, Saeeda stated that these individuals have not only questioned the family but have also entered the house multiple times, raising fears that her father might be targeted again.

She criticised the authorities for failing to conclude any investigation into his abduction despite years of appeals. "What sort of inquiry is this," she asked, "that even after thirty-one months of brutality, they have not completed it and now the same people seem to be looking for another chance to take him?"

Zehri was seized by intelligence personnel on 10 April 2021 in Karachi, in front of his relatives. He remained missing for nearly three years, with the family repeatedly knocking on the doors of parliament, courts, the senate and the media efforts that yielded no accountability.

When he was released on 31 October 2023, his relatives described him as being in a "half-dead" state, bearing clear signs of torture.

Saeeda accused those responsible for enforced disappearances of operating above the law, saying they "keep the constitution, judiciary and media in their pocket while disappearing people." She stated that the family is mentally and emotionally exhausted and "cannot endure another disappearance," as highlighted by The Balochistan Post.

Human rights groups have long documented that many previously disappeared Baloch individuals face renewed intimidation or even second-time abductions after their release.

Such patterns, they say, reflect the deep-rooted impunity that continues to define security operations in the province. Appealing directly to state authorities, Saeeda urged immediate intervention to stop another potential abduction, as reported by The Balochistan Post. (ANI)

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