Reports from Balochistan indicate a continued pattern of enforced disappearances as Pakistani forces have allegedly taken multiple individuals into custody, transferring them to undisclosed locations.
According to sources from Panjgur, security forces detained a young man named Faisal from the Parom area and subsequently moved him to an unknown location, where he remains missing. Similarly, on March 14, forces allegedly took Ehsan Baloch, son of Haji Zadin, from his home in Washbod, Panjgur, after which he has not been seen or heard from.
This wave of enforced disappearances persists, with reports stating that Pakistani forces have allegedly abducted nine individuals from Nushki district on Sunday.
Meanwhile, in response to the enforced disappearances of Faheem Baloch and Khadim Baloch, who were reportedly disappeared on Friday night — their families have staged protests, demanding the immediate release of their loved ones. A sit-in protest has been ongoing for over 48 hours on the Quetta-Karachi highway at Mangochar in Kalat district. Protesters have blocked the main road, causing long lines of vehicles on both sides, leaving hundreds of travelers stranded.
The families of the disappeared individuals have adopted a firm stance, declaring that they will continue blocking the national highway until the safe recovery of Faheem Baloch and Khadim Baloch.
Vice Chairman of the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons or VBMP, Mama Qadeer Baloch, addressed the issue during a gathering at the Quetta Press Club, where their protest has now entered its 5,762nd day. He stated that millions of regular army personnel and military units are deployed across Balochistan, effectively controlling the entire province. Despite this military presence, neither peace has been established nor have the state’s objectives been achieved. Instead, human rights violations have escalated, fueling unrest among the people.
Mama Qadeer further emphasized that Baloch national identity is a reality that must be recognized. However, instead of acknowledging this, the state is resorting to force, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial measures. These actions fall under state crimes and cannot be justified under any circumstances.
He also pointed out that the policy of collective punishment has not only targeted Baloch political activists but also the families of the disappeared persons. On March 15, Shah Jahan Kurd, the brother of the forcibly disappeared student leader Zahid Kurd, was allegedly assassinated by a state-backed militia. Mama Qadeer condemned this act, calling it deplorable that even those who seek to live peacefully are targeted, their families shattered.
Zahid Kurd has been missing for 11 years, and now his family has also been targeted despite their non-involvement in political or social activities, which are already restricted in Balochistan, Mama Qadeer said.
The protests continue, and the families of the disappeared remain steadfast in their demand for justice and accountability for the ongoing enforced disappearances and human rights violations in Balochistan.