Paank condemns enforced disappearances of four Baloch individuals by Pakistani forces, demands immediate release

Balochistan [Pakistan], May 25 (ANI): Paank, the human rights department of the Baloch National Movement (BNM), has strongly condemned the recent surge in enforced disappearances in Balochistan, citing the abduction of four individuals from different parts of the region by Pakistani security forces.

According to a statement released by Paank on social media, between May 23 and 24, four Baloch civilians--Majid Baloch from Khuzdar, Abid Hussain from Mastung, and Abdul Razaq and Muhammad Ishaq from Quetta--were forcibly taken from their homes by state forces. Their whereabouts remain unknown.

"These abductions are grave violations of human rights and international law," Paank stated. The Pakistani state continues to use enforced disappearances as a tool of repression against the Baloch people.

Paank emphasised that the use of enforced disappearances is part of a systematic policy aimed at silencing dissent and instilling fear among the local population. It has called for the immediate and safe release of all four individuals and demanded an end to the collective punishment being inflicted on Baloch civilians.

The organisation further urged international human rights bodies, the United Nations, and global civil society to break their silence and take concrete steps against the ongoing abuses in Balochistan.

"Enforced disappearances have become a normalised tactic of the Pakistani state in Balochistan, we call on the international community to hold Pakistan accountable and to ensure justice for the victims and their families," Paank said. (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)