According to reports, four relatives of Muhammad Rafiq Baloch, also known as Washen—who targeted Pakistani military personnel in a “fidayee” (self-sacrificial) attack—have been forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces and intelligence agencies. The abducted individuals include Rafiq’s father, Murad Ali, along with his relatives Ismail (son of Ghulam Qadir), Tariq (son of Ghulam Qadir), and Gul Hassan.
Sources reveal that these individuals were detained on November 9, 2024, from Mir Mola Bakhsh Goth, near Daru Hotel in Hub, by Pakistani security personnel. Since their abduction, there has been no information regarding their whereabouts or condition, intensifying fears for their safety among their family members.
In a separate incident, Imran Baloch, whose forcible disappearance was reported earlier on October 8, 2024, from Hub Chowki, has been released. His close friends confirmed that he was freed on November 14, 2024. However, another individual, Junaid, son of Hameed, who was abducted alongside Imran near Hub Bhawani, remains missing. Junaid’s brother, Yasir Hameed, also fell victim to enforced disappearance in Kalat earlier this year, and neither brother has surfaced to date.
Enforced disappearances have become a common occurrence in Balochistan, where the Pakistani state has been accused of systematically targeting Baloch activists, students, intellectuals, and even their families. This practice is often described as a tool of repression against those who dissent against state policies or are suspected of supporting Baloch nationalist movements. Human rights organisations have long criticised Pakistan for the impunity enjoyed by its security forces, with thousands of Baloch missing, many of whom are believed to be in secret detention centres.