Two young men have reportedly been forcibly disappeared by Pakistani security forces in separate incidents in Balochistan’s Kalat and Gwadar regions, local sources reported on Saturday.
In the first incident, Yasir Hameed, a resident of Hub, was taken from his relatives’ home in Kalat during a raid by security forces on October 11. Witnesses say the raid occurred at around 2:30 a.m., during which security personnel allegedly assaulted members of the household, including women, before taking Yasir into custody. His whereabouts remain unknown.
This disappearance comes just days after Yasir’s younger brother, Junaid Hameed, was also reportedly forcibly disappeared by security forces in Hub on October 8. Yasir had previously been forcibly disappeared by security forces in May 2022 but was released after 10 days.
During a press conference in Hub, the brothers’ sister expressed the family’s anguish, stating: “In Balochistan, every family has a painful story. Our loved ones are disappearing, and many families are suffering psychological trauma, with some driven to the point of suicide.” She warned that the family would resort to protests if her brothers were not released.
In the second incident, Imran Baloch, a farmer from Gwadar, was reportedly detained by Pakistani security forces during a raid on October 3. Imran, the sole breadwinner for his family, has not been seen since.
October has seen a surge in cases of enforced disappearances across Balochistan. The Balochistan Post has documented 17 new cases of enforced disappearances this month from various regions. While four individuals have since been released, 13 remain missing.