Quetta, August 31: On the occasion of the International Day of Enforced Disappearances, various human rights organizations and activists in Balochistan remembered those who have been forcibly disappeared by the Pakistani military from their homes, streets, and communities. They also expressed solidarity with families who have faced uncertainty regarding their loved ones for years.
Activists called on the United Nations and the broader international community to take meaningful and effective steps to ensure the release of thousands of forcibly disappeared Baloch individuals, including children, women, youth, and the elderly.
Observed annually on August 30, the International Day of Enforced Disappearances was established by the United Nations in 2011 to raise global awareness about this serious human rights violation and to honor the victims and their families.
On this occasion, the Balochistan Human Rights Council (BHRC) reported that between January 2016 and July 2026, it recorded 9,130 cases of enforced disappearances across Balochistan.
The BHRC stated, “This is only a small fraction of the actual number, as many areas are under strict control by security forces, making it difficult to document countless cases. Behind every number, there is a mother waiting for her son, a child waiting for their parents, a wife waiting for her husband, and a family living in uncertainty every day.”
The Baloch Students Organization (BSO)-Azad accused Pakistani forces of committing “illegal actions” against the people of Balochistan, asserting that enforced disappearances are among the most prominent forms of these atrocities.
Claiming that the state has normalized this trend through various methods and policies, the organization urged the international community and human rights organizations to take immediate action and hold Pakistani authorities accountable for these “serious crimes.”
The BSO stated, “The first half of 2026 has passed. So far, over 800 Baloch students, political activists, teachers, doctors, laborers, shopkeepers, and other civilians have fallen victim to enforced disappearances by the Pakistani military and intelligence agencies. Among the victims are women, girls, minors, the elderly, and youth, ranging from eight to sixty years old. This includes the case of a one-and-a-half-year-old innocent child named Zakir from Mastung.”
Meanwhile, Sabiha Baloch, a leader of the Baloch Unity Committee (BUC), emphasized that while this day is observed globally to remember those who have been forcibly disappeared, for the Baloch people, enforced disappearances are not just an annual issue but a daily reality.
On her social media platform, X, Sabiha stated, “Baloch families live every day in fear of losing another loved one to enforced disappearance. Mothers wait for their sons, and children wait for their fathers. Families await answers that may never come. For Balochistan, every day is a day of enforced disappearances. The world must not remain silent while families wait in hope and unbearable pain.”
On this day, Baloch Voice for Justice (BVJ) urged the international community to fulfill its responsibility to protect human rights, demand accountability from Pakistani authorities, and support efforts to end the practice of enforced disappearances in Balochistan.
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