Pakistan faces renewed scrutiny as enforced disappearances persist in Balochistan

Balochistan [Pakistan], April 4 (ANI): Fresh allegations of enforced disappearances in Balochistan have surfaced, with two new cases reported in recent days, even as one previously missing student has safely returned home, according to local accounts and rights groups, as reported by The Balochistan Post.

According to The Balochistan Post, a 17-year-old student, Shahek Baloch, son of Rahim Bakhsh and a resident of Buleda Mehnaz in Kech district, was allegedly taken into custody on March 31 in Turbat. Sources claim that individuals linked to a state-supported militia were involved in his detention.

Since then, there has been no information regarding his whereabouts, raising concerns among his family and the wider community. Noor Khan, a 21-year-old student from Sardasht Kalanch in Pasni tehsil, was reportedly detained on March 28. Witnesses stated that personnel believed to be affiliated with Military Intelligence intercepted him at a van stop in Pasni. He was allegedly forced into a vehicle and taken to an undisclosed location.

His fate remains unknown. The Baloch Yakjehti Committee has acknowledged both incidents, warning that such cases reflect an ongoing and troubling trend in the region. The group has urged international human rights organisations to take cognisance of the grim situation and press for accountability, as highlighted by The Balochistan Post.

Meanwhile, there has been a rare development in the form of a safe return. Mumtaz Baloch, a fifth-semester student from the Balochi department at the University of Balochistan, who had reportedly gone missing earlier, has returned home. He was allegedly picked up from Kolwai Bazaar in Turbat's Absar area during the third night of Eid and remained unaccounted for several days. While his family has expressed relief, the anguish continues for other family members or relatives who are still missing, as reported by The Balochistan Post. (ANI)

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