Balochistan: Pakistani Forces Continue Wave of Enforced Disappearances and In-Custody Killings

SHAAL, Balochistan: A recent surge in enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Balochistan has sparked outrage among families and human rights advocates, calling for urgent international intervention and independent investigations.

Four cases, spanning January and February 2026, have intensified concerns, with families saying Pakistani security agencies are involved in these murders. The latest of these incidents includes the abduction and subsequent death of Pazeer Baloch, whose body was discovered on February 7, 2026, in Washbood, Panjgur, over two months after he was forcibly disappeared on November 25, 2025.

Local sources and family members say that Baloch was abducted by “state-backed death squads.” His family spent months searching for him, receiving no information about his whereabouts. When his body was found, relatives reported visible signs of severe torture, and they said he had been in state custody before his death.

In a separate case, Karim Jan, a 35-year-old driver and father, was detained on January 3, 2026, from Star Plus Market in Turbat by individuals identified as personnel of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), who were reportedly in plain clothes. Jan’s family says they were never informed about his detention or whereabouts.

His body was found nearly a month later, on February 1, 2026, in the Baalgatar area of Panjgur. Relatives say he was subjected to torture while in custody. Despite having no known criminal record, his family insists he was never formally charged with any crime.

Earlier, on January 4, 2026, the body of Muhammad Anwar, 44, a farmer with no political affiliations, was found seven months after he was forcibly disappeared on June 4, 2025. Anwar was detained by members of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) shortly after offering his afternoon prayers at a mosque in Killi Safar Ali Jangal, Duki district. His family also say that he was held in secret detention before his body was recovered in January.

In a separate incident, a young man was killed in Gwadar, a coastal district of Balochistan, in a targeted attack by unknown gunmen. Local sources confirm that the victim had previously been subjected to enforced disappearance at the hands of Pakistani forces.

On Thursday, February 12, 2026, Kamal son of Haji Dad Muhammad, from the Dasht Sholi area of District Kech, was shot dead near Jewani while travelling from Kuntani Hor to Gwadar. Eyewitnesses reported that the attackers, riding in a car, opened fire and then fled the scene. Local sources claim Kamal died at the scene from gunshot wounds.

According to regional sources, the gunmen involved in the attack are believed to be members of a state-backed militia, locally referred to as a “death squad.”

Baloch pro-freedom circles and human rights groups in Balochistan have long maintained that such armed groups are involved in enforced disappearances and targeted killings in Balochistan on behalf of the Pakistani army and intelligence agencies.

Kamal Baloch had been forcibly disappeared in October 2024, according to family sources. His relatives say he was missing for nearly two months before being released.

Following his release, while on his way to court in Gwadar, Kamal was attacked in the Fakir Colony area, where he was shot and injured. His family had expressed ongoing concerns for his safety after that attack.

These cases add to a growing number of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings that have plagued Balochistan for years. Human rights organisations have long accused Pakistani security forces of targeting Baloch activists, political dissidents and civilians in a pattern of abuse. Advocacy groups have been urging for transparent investigations and accountability for those responsible.

The families of the victims have called on international organisations, including the United Nations, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch, to intervene and investigate the systematic state-sponsored violations of human rights in Balochistan.