Balochistan: Forced Disappearances of Seven Baloch Individuals Reported

SHAAL, Balochistan: Four more cases of forced disappearances involving Baloch individuals have been reported in Balochistan, further raising concerns over human rights abuses in the region.

The most recent incident occurred on February 7, 2026, when Mir Balach, a resident of Karachi’s Faqir Colony, was detained by authorities at Karachi Airport after arriving from the UAE.

According to family members, Balach was working as a labourer in Dubai and had returned to Pakistan for his wedding and a vacation. Authorities detained him under the pretext of a visa check, but he has since gone missing.

Family members reported that after several hours of waiting, they inquired with airport officials about his whereabouts, but were told that the authorities had no information. Since then, there has been no trace of Mir Balach, leading relatives to fear that he has been subjected to forced disappearance.

The family has called on senior government officials to take immediate action to locate and release him.

In another incident, on February 2, 2026, Pakistani forces detained Dawood Lehri, a resident of Mastung, from the Luck Pass area. He was taken into custody and transferred to an undisclosed location. The reasons behind his detention remain unclear.

Similarly, on February 9, 2026, Pakistani forces forcibly disappeared Shahroz Baloch, a resident of Quetta’s Saryab area. Baloch was taken from his home by security personnel, and his whereabouts are currently unknown.

A further case of enforced disappearance occurred on February 8, when Pakistani forces apprehended Nadel Ali, a resident of Jhao in the Hub Chowki area and took him into custody.

His family has not been able to trace him since his disappearance.

In addition to these, reports have surfaced of a disturbing incident in Awaran, Balochistan, where an elderly man and his two sons were forcibly abducted by Pakistani security forces. The abductions took place during a raid on February 9, 2026, around 12:00 PM. The victims have been identified as Murad Bakhsh son of Mahmood, a resident of Jhal Jhao and his two sons, Latif and Amjad.

Local sources indicate that the family had migrated to Rekan in Awaran eight years ago to escape the ongoing military operations in their home area.

They were reportedly under constant surveillance and were required to regularly appear at a local military camp, along with their children and wives, before being detained and moved to an undisclosed location. The fate and whereabouts of Murad Bakhsh and his sons remain unknown.

These incidents have sparked outrage and concern among Baloch advocacy groups and human rights organisations, who have long condemned the use of forced disappearances as a tactic of repression in Balochistan.

Meanwhile, Nusrullah Baloch, Chairman of the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP), has confirmed that over 100 individuals were detained by state institutions in Balochistan over the past week. He noted that these detainees were not presented in court, and their families have received no information regarding their well-being.

Baloch said that the forced disappearances protest camp, led by him and organised by the VBMP, continued its 6075th day outside the Quetta Press Club. The camp draws support from various social groups who stand in solidarity with the families of the missing and demand an end to these unlawful practices.

Nusrullah Baloch shared that the spokesperson for the Balochistan government, Shahid Rand, acknowledged during a press briefing that over 100 individuals had been taken into custody by security forces in Balochistan in just one week.

Baloch criticised the fact that none of these detainees were brought before a court or provided any information about their status to their families. As a result, the affected families are enduring significant mental and emotional distress.

He further demanded that if there are charges against any of the detainees, they should be immediately brought to court. He emphasised that those who are innocent should be released without delay to alleviate the suffering of their families.