Ongoing Surge in Enforced Disappearances Across Balochistan
SHAAL (QUETTA): A disturbing surge in enforced disappearances continues across Balochistan, with multiple cases reported in recent days from Quetta, Panjgur, and other districts.
Human rights organisations and families of the victims have voiced deep concern, urging the government to take immediate action to ensure the safe recovery of the enforced disappeared individuals.
On October 17, 2025, the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) reported that two Baloch students, Wahab (a resident of Pasni) and Nazir (a resident of Mastung), were forcibly taken by Pakistani security forces from their residence in the Isa Nagri area on Brewery Road, Quetta.
The students were detained and transferred to an undisclosed location, with no information provided to their families since the incident.
VBMP condemned the action, calling it deeply alarming, and demanded that the government ensure the immediate and safe recovery of both Wahab and Nazir Baloch.
On October 16, 2025, reports from Panjgur district indicated that Pakistani forces conducted raids in various areas, including Bonistan Chungi Sar and Isa, detaining several individuals who have since gone missing.
Eyewitnesses reported that late-night raids in Bonistan Chungi Sar resulted in the arrest of several people, identified as Zaheer, Hasil, Ihsan, Siraj, Saeedullah and one unidentified man.
Families say these individuals were taken to unknown locations without any official notification or legal proceedings.
On the same day, two more individuals, Sakam (son of Ali, resident of Sorg Isa) and Jehanzeb (son of Ali Jan, resident of Isa Sand Sar), were abducted from their homes in the Isa area of Panjgur.
Both remain missing and no information has been shared with their families regarding their whereabouts.
Earlier, on October 4, 2025, Pakistani forces detained three brothers from Quetta’s Jinnah Road (Baloch Colony). The victims were identified as Irfan Ahmed Sumalani, Tanveer Ahmed Sumalani and Zaheer Ahmed Sumalani—all sons of Aziz Ahmed Sumalani.
Later the same day, a fourth brother, Nazir Ahmed Sumalani, was also taken into custody from Shaharg Killi Mengal Abad. None of the four have been seen or heard from since.
In a separate incident on the same day, a 10th-grade student, Abdullah (son of Baiyan), from the Sari Kirki Tajaban area of Kech, was taken into custody from his room in Quetta.
His whereabouts also remain unknown. Families of the disappeared have stated that no official confirmation or explanation has been provided by the authorities.
Baloch pro-freedom activists and local human rights organisations estimate the number of enforced disappearances from Balochistan to be in the thousands. Many of the disappeared have been held in the custody of Pakistani security forces for over two decades without trial or contact with their families.
The families of the enforced disappeared have exhausted all legal avenues, including appeals to Pakistan’s judiciary, but to no avail. They continue to demand that if their loved ones are accused of any wrongdoing, they should be brought before a court of law and tried in accordance with legal procedures.
There have also been numerous reports of enforced disappeared Baloch being killed in staged encounters by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of the police. In many of these cases, there is indisputable evidence that the individuals had previously been abducted by Pakistani forces, undermining official narratives of armed confrontations.
Human rights organisations have consistently raised alarms over the rising trend of enforced disappearances in Balochistan, particularly targeting students and young men. Families continue to demand answers, justice and accountability.
