Balochistan: Pakistani Forces Continue Unabated Enforced Disappearances

QUETTA: A series of enforced disappearances in Balochistan and Karachi have raised alarm over the increasing repression by Pakistani forces. The incidents, which have taken place over the course of several days in January 2025, highlight a troubling pattern of extrajudicial arrests and abductions.

On January 18, 2025, Zubair Ahmed, a Dubai-based labourer visiting family in Karachi, was extra judicially arrested by Pakistani forces in Mallir, Karachi. Zubair son of Yaqoob is a resident of Pullabad in Tump, Kech district, Balochistan, was detained and subsequently disappeared.

His family has expressed deep concern for his safety and demanded his immediate release.

Earlier, on January 17, 2025, Mohammad Jawad son of Qudratullah and a member of the Qambarani tribe, was abducted by Pakistani forces from a well-known shrine in Sivan Sharif while travelling with friends on a recreational trip in Sindh.

Jawad, a resident of Balochistan, was taken to an undisclosed location following his abduction. This is not the first time Jawad has been subjected to forced disappearance; he had previously been detained for a week at the Cantt Police Station in Quetta without charges.

Jawad’s family has raised alarms over his disappearance, appealing for urgent action to ensure his safety. “Jawad’s forced disappearance should not be ignored, and we have serious concerns about his life and safety,” the family said in a statement. They have called on human rights organisations to take up the matter and demand the recovery of Mohammad Jawad Baloch from both Sindh and Balochistan governments.

In another incident, Pakistani forces abducted Mohammad Din Marri son of Lal Khan Marri, from the Kanta Pragu area in Harnai, Balochistan.

Sources reported that Marri’s family has previously faced similar hardships, as one of his brothers had been forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces in the past and remains missing. Mohammad Din Marri’s case adds to the growing list of enforced disappearances in the region, and his family fears for his well-being.

Another similar case involves abduction of Ataullah Marri an elderly resident of the Mian Kaor’s Podh areas of Harnai. Ataullah was abducted by Pakistani forces two months ago, but news of his disappearance did not surface immediately due to a media blackout imposed in the region. Ataullah was known for livestock farming.

Moreover, on January 4, 2025, Pakistani forces abducted Asif Baloch son of Umar Khan, from his home in Qaziabad, Noshki. Asif Baloch’s case marks another instance of arbitrary detention and forced disappearance in the region, fuelling growing concerns about the safety of individuals in Balochistan.

The recent abductions reflect a disturbing trend of enforced disappearances by Pakistani forces, with families and communities left in anguish as they struggle to secure the release of their loved ones. These actions have intensified calls for justice, with many demanding accountability from the Pakistani authorities.