The Baloch National Movement (BNM) has expressed grave concerns over what it describes as an escalating human rights crisis in Balochistan, citing a surge in enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.
According to a report by BNM’s human rights division, Paank, at least 48 individuals have been forcibly disappeared in the first five days of the current month. The report claims that 35 of these individuals were detained by Pakistani security forces in Kalat and subsequently went missing, while five others from different areas were victims of custodial killings.
Paank has called on international human rights organizations to take immediate notice of the situation, emphasizing that the scale of enforced disappearances in Balochistan cannot be fully captured in a single statement. It urged global institutions to review Paank’s ongoing reports, which document alleged human rights violations in the region daily.
The organization described the situation in Balochistan as a “severe humanitarian crisis” and accused the Pakistani state of carrying out what it called “genocide” against the Baloch people.
BNM’s spokesperson stated that thousands of people have fallen victim to enforced disappearances, causing widespread distress across Baloch society. Despite ongoing protests by affected families, the statement alleged that state repression has only intensified. Women and children, the spokesperson claimed, are subjected to violence and abductions when they attempt to protest for the safe return of their loved ones.
“We will not remain silent in the face of this oppression,” the BNM statement said, accusing Pakistani authorities of escalating human rights violations as a reaction to the Baloch independence movement. “The state is using terror to subdue the Baloch nation, but this failed strategy will only result in further bloodshed.”
The spokesperson reiterated that Balochistan’s people would not retreat from their demand for independence, arguing that as long as the region remains under Pakistani control, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings will persist.
BNM called on its members to stand in solidarity with the families of the disappeared, strengthen their resolve, and continue mobilizing the Baloch society against what it termed state oppression. It also urged Baloch activists abroad to amplify the issue on international platforms and increase global support for an independent Balochistan.
The statement concluded with an announcement that BNM would highlight the issue of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in a series of events on March 27, marking the anniversary of what the group describes as Pakistan’s “occupation” of Balochistan. The main program will be held in Geneva, where BNM plans to launch a global awareness campaign to inform international bodies about the alleged state repression in Balochistan.