Human Rights Council of Balochistan reports alarming surge in enforced disappearances

Quetta [Pakistan], March 18 (ANI): The Human Rights Council of Balochistan (HRCB) has published a report revealing a disturbing increase in cases of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in the province during February 2025.
The HRCB report highlighted a troubling pattern of human rights violations, particularly affecting students and political activists, The Balochistan Post reported.
In February 2025, HRCB documented 144 instances of enforced disappearances across Balochistan. Among the victims, 41 were released, 102 are still missing, and one was killed. Additionally, there were 46 recorded killings, including extrajudicial executions, with 40 victims identified and six remaining unidentified.
The report indicates that 136 individuals were abducted for the first time, five were taken twice, and three had been abducted three times. The report mentioned that The Frontier Corps (FC) was held responsible for 125 cases, intelligence agencies for 13, and death squads for four.
According to the report, house raids were the most frequent method of abduction, with 102 of the 144 cases involving such raids. Additionally, 26 individuals were detained before disappearing, 12 were abducted from checkpoints, and 4 were taken after being summoned to camps, The Balochistan Post reported.
Enforced disappearances in Balochistan, have been a significant and ongoing human rights issue. The problem gained prominence in the early 2000s, with many Baloch nationalists, political activists, journalists, and students disappearing under suspicious circumstances.
These individuals are often abducted by security forces or intelligence agencies, and their whereabouts remain unknown for long periods. In many cases, they are tortured or killed, and their bodies are later found dumped in remote areas.
The Baloch people have long sought greater autonomy, control over their resources, and recognition of their cultural identity. The Pakistani state, however, has been involved in military operations to suppress these movements, which has led to widespread human rights violations. The disappearances are viewed as a tactic to silence dissent and deter opposition to state policies. (ANI)