Balochistan: Journalist Threatened with Disappearance, Another Warned to ‘Prepare His Shroud’

QUETTA: At least two Baloch journalists have raised alarm over serious threats he has received from individuals on social media who allegedly pose as members of Pakistan’s intelligence agencies.

According to Baloch, the messages include warnings of dire consequences, including threats of enforced disappearance.

Speaking out against the growing climate of fear in Balochistan, journalist Niaz Baloch stated that no segment of society is safe in Balochistan. “Journalists, teachers, doctors, lawyers, writers, singers, students, and political activists—all are at risk,” he said.

“Anyone who dares to speak out against state oppression is either forcibly disappeared or killed by unknown individuals. These perpetrators, often referred to as ‘death squads,’ operate openly and with impunity.”

Baloch has made a passionate appeal to the international community, including the United Nations and global human rights organisations, to take immediate and effective notice of what he described as “a worsening human rights crisis” in Balochistan.

“Continued silence will only lead to more bloodshed,” he warned. “The oppressed people of Balochistan are seeking justice and protection. It is time for the global conscience to awaken and listen to the cries of the suffering.”

Adding to the alarming trend, on April 12, another journalist, Javed MB who reports for Voice of Gwadar also came under threat. Javed reported receiving a death threat via a phone call from a withheld number. “Apne kafan ki tayari karna,” the caller told him plainly, which translates to: “Prepare your shroud.”

This latest wave of threats underscores the increasingly dangerous environment for journalists in Balochistan, where freedom of expression has been all but extinguished. Over the past several years, dozens of journalists have either been killed or forcibly disappeared.

Rights groups have consistently documented cases of intimidation, censorship, and violence targeting members of the press in the region. The growing number of such incidents has amplified calls for urgent international attention and accountability for the perpetrators.