Enforced disappearances in Balochistan mount as families demand justice after fresh abductions

Balochistan [Pakistan], August 26 (ANI): The cases of enforced disappearances in Pakistan's Balochistan province continue to raise concerns over human rights and accountability.

In the latest reported incidents, three individuals have allegedly gone missing, while the families of two men who were reportedly disappeared more than 13 years ago have renewed their calls for justice and information about their whereabouts, reported The Balochistan Post.

According to a report by The Balochistan Post (TBP), a 16-year-old student, Agha Gul, and 27-year-old Hafeezullah Baloch were allegedly taken from Quetta in separate incidents, while farmer Rafiq Baloch and labourer Shakir Baloch were reportedly detained during a late-night operation in Awaran district. Family members alleged the involvement of Pakistani security and intelligence personnel in the cases.

Shakir Baloch and his wife, Gul Banuk, who had also been reported missing, were recovered on August 24. However, Rafiq Baloch remains unaccounted for, The Balochistan Post reported, citing the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP).

The latest allegations come amid longstanding concerns over enforced disappearances in Balochistan. VBMP's protest camp outside the Quetta Press Club has continued for over 6,300 days, according to The Balochistan Post.

The report by The Balochistan Post also highlighted the cases of Daad Mohammad Marri and Saleh Mohammad Marri, whose relatives renewed demands for information about their whereabouts during the protest.

According to their families, the two men were allegedly detained in Quetta in March 2013 and have remained missing ever since.

According to The Balochistan Post, VBMP Chairman Nasrullah Baloch termed enforced disappearances a violation of constitutional rights and due process. He called on Pakistani authorities to reveal the whereabouts of detainees, present them before courts and uphold transparent legal procedures.

Meanwhile, Baloch rights group Paank took to X to condemn the alleged midnight raid in Awaran, accusing Pakistani state forces of forcibly disappearing three Baloch individuals, including a woman.

Paank called on Pakistan to disclose their whereabouts and ensure their safety and due legal process.

The latest cases have renewed scrutiny over alleged arbitrary detentions and disappearances in Balochistan, with families and rights groups seeking accountability, reported The Balochistan Post. (ANI)

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