Pakistan's security forces kidnap 10-year-old child, civilian in Mastung

Mastung [Pakistan], June 21 (ANI): Baloch National Movement's Human Rights Department's Paank has strongly condemned the enforced disappearances of a 10-year-old child, Aziz Ahmed Lehri, and civilian Muhammad Rizwan in Mastung on June 20.

The group described these abductions as a stark escalation of Pakistan's repressive tactics in Balochistan, targeting both children and civilians alike.

According to Paank, Aziz Ahmed Lehri was forcibly taken by Pakistani security forces from Mastung, marking an alarming breach of international human rights and child protection laws.

The disappearance of such a young child highlights the indiscriminate nature of state violence and repression in the region. Paank demanded the immediate release of Aziz and called on the international community to intervene.

In a separate but related incident in the early hours of June 20, Muhammad Rizwan, a resident of Killi Kongrah in Mastung, was abducted during a pre-dawn raid conducted by personnel from the Frontier Corps (FC) and the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD).

The security forces reportedly stormed Rizwan's home around 3:15 AM and took him into custody without explanation.

Paank strongly condemned both abductions, emphasising the particularly egregious nature of forcibly disappearing a child alongside a civilian.

The rights group stated that these acts reflect an ongoing pattern of severe human rights violations and underscore the deteriorating situation in Balochistan.

"These enforced disappearances are not only a gross violation of moral and legal standards but also evidence of Pakistan's brutal campaign of repression against the Baloch people," Paank said in a statement.

The group has called on international human rights organisations and global governments to take immediate action to hold Pakistan accountable for these violations and ensure the safe return of the disappeared individuals. (ANI)

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