Balochistan: Pakistani Forces Abduct Several Baloch During Military Offensives

QUETTA – Pakistani forces have abducted several Baloch individuals during recent military offensives in the mountainous regions of Noshki district, Balochistan.

The offensives, which lasted for three days, involved gunship helicopters and other aircraft, with personnel deployed at various locations.

According to reports, eight individuals were forcibly disappeared during the operation, including Mulla Nazir Smalani, Fakir Muhammad Smalani, Jan Muhammad Smalani, Zafar Ullah son of Jan Muhammad Smalani, Muhammad Waris Smalani, and Hashim son of Syed Khan Sasoli.

Two passersby were also reportedly abducted, but their identities remain unknown.

Local sources also reported that military personnel set fire to civilian homes and fired mortar shells at populated areas during the offensive, further intensifying fears of widespread human rights violations.

Meanwhile, in the coastal city of Gwadar Balochistan, Pakistani forces and government-backed armed groups forcibly disappeared Nazir son of Yar Muhammad, a resident of Dasht Kambail and Pazal Ismael from his home in Pasni.

In a separate incident on November 22, 2024, Behzad Dilawari Baloch, a student preparing for his public service exams, was abducted by officials from the Frontier Corps (FC) and the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) in Quetta. This marks the second time Dilawari has been forcibly disappeared.

The continued use of enforced disappearances and military atrocities in Balochistan has raised serious concerns among human rights advocates, who argue that these actions reflect the state’s ongoing repression of the Baloch population.

As the crisis deepens, calls for accountability and justice for the victims of forced disappearances have intensified.

The International Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (IVBMP) has condemned the abductions, urging international human rights organizations to take urgent action.

The IVBMP called on Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and other global bodies to raise their voices against the ongoing violations in Balochistan, demanding an independent investigation into the military’s actions and the immediate release of the forcibly disappeared individuals.