Pakistan's shadow war on Baloch citizens intensifies

Balochistan [Pakistan], December 4 (ANI): Fresh reports of enforced disappearances have surfaced from Balochistan, deepening concerns over Pakistan's continued suppression of dissent and disregard for human rights.

Four individuals, including a woman, a student poet, a fisherman, and a security guard, were allegedly abducted by Pakistani security forces in separate incidents this week. Families of the missing persons have appealed for their immediate and safe recovery, urging authorities to end what they describe as a cycle of state-backed terror, as reported by The Balochistan Post.

According to The Balochistan Post, in Khuzdar, a woman identified as Farzana, daughter of Muhammad Bakhsh Zehri, was detained by personnel belonging to the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and has since disappeared.

Her family demanded her release, calling her detention unlawful and emblematic of the impunity with which the CTD operates in the province. Another disturbing case was documented in Quetta, where Hilal Dad, a young student and Balochi-language poet from Kech district, was allegedly taken into custody from Jan Muhammad Road.

Hilal's family has received no information regarding his fate, expressing grave fears for his safety. They have appealed to the government to acknowledge his arrest and ensure his protection.

A similar pattern emerged from Pasni, where Qasim, son of Nabi Bakhsh, a fisherman by profession, was allegedly taken by security personnel while buying medicine in the town's main market. His relatives stated that his phone remains intermittently active online, leading them to believe he is being held by state agencies.

They demanded his formal production before a court if any charges exist, as highlighted by The Balochistan Post.

In Karachi, Nabeel Baloch, a resident of Lyari and a security guard by profession, was reportedly picked up by Pakistani forces and has been missing since.

His family insists he has no involvement in any illegal activities and has pleaded for his release. Human rights groups stated that these incidents reflect a worsening trend of state repression and a "culture of enforced silence" in Balochistan, as reported by The Balochistan Post. (ANI)

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