New wave of enforced disappearances reported in Gwadar and Karachi

Gwadar [Pakistan] August 25 (ANI): The issue of enforced disappearances in Balochistan is reportedly increasing with new reports emerging from the Gwadar region, The Balochistan Post reported. The Balochistan Post cited local sources that security forces carried out operations on Sunday evening in the Kuldan and Gubd areas of Gwadar.
During the raids, five individuals were reportedly detained and taken to an undisclosed location. Witnesses claim that the detainees were physically assaulted by personnel travelling in three Frontier Corps vehicles and two motorbikes before being taken away.
Of the five individuals detained, three have been identified as Siraj, son of Pir Mohammad; Waseem, son of Lal Mohammad; and Waheed, son of Murad.
The identities of the remaining two detainees have yet to be confirmed. According to their families, the men have been missing since the operation took place, as per The Balochistan Post.
Meanwhile, in Karachi, the family of 26-year-old Sadiq Murad held a press conference at the Karachi Press Club demanding his immediate release, reported The Balochistan Post. Relatives allege that in the early hours of 23 August 2025, personnel from the Counter-Terrorism Department, accompanied by police and plainclothes officers, forcibly entered their home in Malir's Sadiq Village without presenting a warrant.
They claim that both elders and children in the house were assaulted before Murad was taken into custody, it added.
Family members described Murad as an educated young man and the sole breadwinner of his family, emphasising that he had no connection to any illegal activities.
The Balochistan Post reported that relatives expressed deep frustration over the apparent silence of the courts and state institutions, and appealed to human rights organisations, civil society, and the general public to speak out against enforced disappearances.
The Balochistan Post also noted that enforced disappearances have been reported for years across Balochistan, Karachi, and other regions of Pakistan. Families of the missing continue to hold protests, hunger strikes, and sit-ins in cities like Quetta, Islamabad, and Karachi, demanding justice and the safe return of their loved ones. (ANI)