Balochistan: Iranian Forces Arrest Four Baloch Youth in Chabahar
Balochistan: Alarming Surge in Enforced Disappearances, Calls for Justice and Accountability
QUETTA – A grim pattern of enforced disappearances continues to plague Balochistan, with a recent wave of abductions following the federal Apex Committee’s approval of ‘comprehensive military offensives’. Human rights organisations and activists have raised alarms over these escalating cases, demanding justice for victims and accountability for perpetrators.
Timeline of Recent Abductions and Developments
November 30, 2024: Mother Pleads for Justice at Protest Camp
Bibi Khadija visited the protest camp of the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) in Quetta to report the disappearance of her son, Abdul Ghaffar son of Sher Zaman. She revealed that Abdul Ghaffar was abducted by security forces on November 19, 2024, from Badini Chowk, Saryab. This was the third time Abdul Ghaffar had been forcibly disappeared; on two previous occasions, he was released after a month in detention.
Bibi Khadija also shared the ongoing anguish of her elder son, Nimatullah, who has been missing since December 8, 2016, after being forcibly disappeared by security forces. Despite the case being heard by the Commission on Missing Persons, no progress has been made.
Nasrullah Baloch, VBMP Chairman, reassured her that the organisation would continue advocating for the recovery of her sons and other disappeared persons in Balochistan. He promised to raise their cases with the government, the Commission on Missing Persons, and the United Nations Working Group on Enforced Disappearances.
In his statement, Nasrullah Baloch urged the government to take immediate action. “Enforced disappearances are a grave violation of human rights. Families like that of Bibi Khadija endure unimaginable suffering. The government must take swift and decisive action to end this injustice and bring the missing individuals back to their loved ones,” he said.
November 29, 2024: Four Lasbela University Students Abducted in Uthal
Four students of Lasbela University—Balach Baloch, Bayan Baloch, Nasir Baloch, and Gulab Baloch—were forcibly taken by armed men in plain clothes from Uthal Bazaar. Witnesses reported that the abduction involved two vehicles and individuals linked to Pakistani security forces and intelligence agencies.
November 29, 2024: Two Youths Abducted in Turbat
On the same day, Nisar son of Aslam and Waris son of Salim were abducted by Pakistani forces in the Absar Askani area of Turbat.
November 28, 2024: Dera Bugti Residents Disappeared
Pakistan’s Frontier Corps, along with ISI personnel, conducted a raid in Sui town, Dera Bugti. Nearly half the town was reportedly targeted, with homes looted and residents harassed.
During this operation, two individuals, Haji Usman Bugti son of Nozani Bugti and Habibullah Bugti son of Teli Bugti, were forcibly disappeared.
November 27, 2024: Large-Scale Abductions in Kalat
A military operation in the Harbui area of Kalat resulted in the enforced disappearance of 40 individuals, with 19 victims from the Shahwani tribe identified as:
- Mir Asad
- Mir Ishaq
- Ali Akbar son of Deen Muhammad
- Kaleemullah son of Wahid Bakhsh
- Abdul Sattar son of Muhammad Azam
- Mir Asadullah son of Mir Azam
- Mir Ishaq son of Mir Fateh Khan
- Mir Muhammad Anwar, son of Mir Jahangir Khan
- Mir Faisal son of Mir Umar Hayat
- Abdul Razzaq son of Abdul Haq
- Din Muhammad son of Muhammad Afzal
- Attullah son of Rahmdil
- Muhammad Yusuf son of Umar
- Haron son of Umar
- Ghulam Rasool son of Naukar Khan
- Abdul Fattah son of Yar Muhammad
- Abdul Samad son of Saadullah
- Syed Hussain Shah
- Abdul Samad son of Saadullah
On the same day, Syed Hussain Shah, an elderly resident of Kalat, was forcibly disappeared. His son, Syed Akhtar Shah, had also been abducted earlier on September 23, 2024, from their home in Killi Pindrani. Both father and son remain missing, leaving their family in despair.
November 22, 2024: Youth Abducted in Gwadar
In the early hours of November 22, Shayhaq Baloch, son of Allah Bux, was forcibly taken by security forces from his residence in Dasht Ball Nigwar, Kech district. The incident highlights the ongoing pattern of targeting young individuals in Balochistan.
Demands for Justice and Global Attention
The Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP), alongside other advocacy groups, has called for justice and accountability. “Students are the backbone of a nation’s progress. Their abductions undermine the potential for peace and prosperity in the region,” said Nasrullah Baloch.
Separately, the International Voice for Baloch Missing Persons has emphasised the need for international solidarity. “Silence enables oppression,” the organisation said, urging collective efforts to amplify the voices of victims and their families.
The IVBMP demanded the immediate release of all forcibly disappeared persons, accountability for those responsible for these grave violations, and an end to the systematic targeting of Baloch students in Punjab and across Balochistan.
The ongoing crisis of enforced disappearances in Balochistan continues to devastate families and communities. As the calls for justice grow louder, urgent action is needed to address these violations and prevent further atrocities. The suffering of the victims and their families must not go unanswered.
