Balochistan [Pakistan], October 24 (ANI): Fresh reports emerging from Balochistan paint a grim picture of escalating human rights violations, as enforced disappearances and military crackdowns continue to spread across the province.
Families of missing persons have once again taken to the streets, demanding justice and accountability from Pakistan’s powerful military establishment, as reported by The Balochistan Post.
Locals claim that numerous residents were whisked away to undisclosed locations without warrants or legal proceedings. The offensive followed last month’s air and drone strikes that killed multiple civilians, including women and minors, leaving entire communities in fear.
Five days ago, Pakistani troops allegedly raided the home of the relatives of Rashid Hussain, who himself has been missing since 2018. During the assault, his cousin Manan Qadir, son of Abdul Qadir Meerozai, was taken into custody and remains unaccounted for. Though some detainees were later released, his whereabouts remain unknown. Eyewitnesses said that security personnel beat family members and opened fire in residential areas during the operation.
In Quetta, the families of two disappeared students, Wahab Baloch and Nazir Ahmed Baloch, staged a demonstration outside the Quetta Press Club, demanding their immediate release. The two were allegedly abducted from their home in Essa Nagri, Brewery, on October 17. Police reportedly attempted to disperse the peaceful protest, but the families refused to leave, appealing to the judiciary and human rights groups for help, as cited by The Balochistan Post.
Meanwhile, the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) protest camp in front of the Quetta Press Club has now entered its 5,977th day. VBMP’s Niaz Mohammad stated that despite repeated petitions to the provincial government and the Commission on Enforced Disappearances, there has been no trace of the missing individuals. Human rights defenders argue that Pakistan’s use of enforced disappearances reflects a deep-rooted policy of silencing dissent in Balochistan, a claim the state continues to deny despite mounting international criticism, as reported by The Balochistan Post. (ANI)