Balochistan: Rising Surge in Forced Disappearances and Extrajudicial Killings

SHAAL, BALOCHISTAN:  The situation in Balochistan has reached a new level of crisis, as a series of disturbing incidents of enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings and torture continue to unfold across the region.

Nasram Baloch, a young man from Buleda, was forcibly disappeared on October 12, 2023. His family endured months of uncertainty, staging sit-ins and peaceful protests demanding his release. After being held in captivity and subjected to brutal treatment, Nasram was finally freed on June 13, 2024, but his health had deteriorated drastically. His ordeal did not end there, as on August 8, 2024, armed men abducted him again, and his lifeless, tortured body was discovered in the Makseen Nadi area on February 26, 2026. His family, devastated by the continuous suffering, has now called for international intervention to investigate this extrajudicial killing.

Similarly, the fate of Awais Baloch, a student from Panjgur, was sealed on February 23, 2026, when he was forcibly disappeared. His body, bearing signs of severe torture, was found the following day at Civil Hospital Panjgur. His case, like Nasram’s, is not an isolated event but part of an ongoing pattern of violence that continues to plague the region.

Balochistan has witnessed numerous similar incidents, with the forced disappearances and brutal deaths of young men becoming tragically common. One such case is that of Janzaib Baloch, a 20-year-old resident of Panjgur. Janzaib was taken by state-backed death squads on October 13, 2025. His body was later found showing clear signs of torture, adding to the growing number of victims of a state-sponsored campaign of terror in the region.

On February 9, 2026, Taimoor Baloch, a farmer from Surab, was forcibly disappeared. His tortured body was found a few days later, with signs indicating that he had been subjected to prolonged physical abuse during his detention.

In another troubling case, Murtaza Baloch, also from Surab, was taken by the Frontier Corps on February 9, 2026, and held incommunicado. Eleven days later, his body was discovered, showing severe physical abuse, a fate that has become all too familiar in Balochistan. Murtaza’s case was brought to the attention of the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, with calls for an independent investigation into his death.

The recent targeted killing of Dolat Baloch in Tejaban Singaband on February 18, 2026, adds another tragic chapter to this ongoing crisis. Dolat, a farmer from a poor family, was killed in cold blood by a motorcycle-mounted death squad, a criminal linked to the Pakistani state’s security apparatus. His murder, following months of harassment and the memory of a prior forced disappearance in 2022, underscores the climate of fear that continues to dominate Balochistan.

Hamdan Baloch, a student from Karachi, was forcibly disappeared on December 29, 2025, by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD). He was later killed in a staged encounter, but his family and friends strongly believe that he was executed extrajudicially while in custody. The pattern of fake encounters, in which victims of enforced disappearances are later declared as militants killed in armed confrontations, continues to raise questions about the integrity of these so-called operations.

In the case of Faraz Baloch, a 23-year-old embroidery artist from Tump, his life was tragically cut short on February 14, 2026, when he was killed by a state-backed death squad. Faraz’s death is part of a wider campaign of violence targeting the youth of Balochistan, who are increasingly becoming victims of arbitrary violence and oppression.

The case of Junaid Ahmed, a 22-year-old student from Surab, further highlights the systematic abuse faced by the people of Balochistan. Junaid was forcibly disappeared on January 23, 2026, by personnel of the Eagle Force and the CTD. His body was later discovered, showing signs of custodial killing and torture, a stark reminder of the ongoing human rights violations in the region.

Additionally, Jangiyan Baloch, a 16-year-old student from Panjgur, was forcibly disappeared on May 26, 2025, and his body was found on February 15, 2026, dumped in the Shapatan area. His case, like many others, underscores the deepening crisis in Balochistan, where families continue to seek justice for their loved ones but often face further intimidation and threats.

These cases, along with numerous others, form part of a larger pattern of state-sanctioned violence, including enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings and torture. Families continue to mourn the loss of their loved ones, often in silence, as they face intimidation and harassment from state-backed death squads and security forces.

The international community has been urged to take immediate action in response to these violations of human rights. Baloch political and human rights activists say that Balochistan’s ongoing crisis requires urgent intervention from international organisations such as the United Nations, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International to investigate these atrocities, demand accountability and ensure that justice is served.