Quetta, July 18: Reports have emerged from Pakistan’s troubled province of Balochistan regarding the alleged enforced disappearance of two more civilians. The human rights organization Baloch Voice for Justice (BVJ) has accused Pakistani security forces of detaining these individuals without providing any information about their whereabouts.
The organization disclosed this information on Saturday, revealing that Fazal Baloch, a central leader of the Baloch Student Front (BSF), was taken from his home in the Hub Chowki area of Balochistan by security personnel early Friday morning. BVJ stated that there has been no trace of him since his abduction.
The human rights group has called on Pakistani authorities to immediately disclose Fazal Baloch’s status and location, grant him access to his family and legal counsel, or present him before a competent civilian court if there is any legal basis for his detention.
BVJ also highlighted the case of another student, Shahab Baloch, who was reportedly abducted by Pakistani security forces after returning to Balochistan from Azerbaijan during the summer holidays.
The organization emphasized that the enforced disappearances targeting Baloch students are not isolated incidents but part of an alarming trend against educated Baloch youth.
Shali Baloch, the central organizer of the Baloch Women Forum (BWF), alleged that several youths have reportedly been forcibly disappeared in Balochistan within a week. She indicated that this reflects an escalation in actions against Baloch students and educated youth.
On the social media platform X, she stated, “Targeting Baloch students and graduates is an attempt to undermine political consciousness and suppress dissent.”
Baloch activists have appealed to the United Nations and international human rights organizations to take action to locate all allegedly disappeared youths, ensure their safe release, and hold Pakistan accountable for its international human rights obligations.
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