Paank condemns police crackdown on Baloch protesters seeking justice for enforced disappearances

Balochistan [Pakistan], March 2 (ANI): Paank strongly denounced the excessive use of force by Pakistani authorities against the families of victims of enforced disappearances in Hub, Balochistan.
As stated in a post shared by Paank on X, reports reveal that police employed tear gas, conducted baton charges, and arbitrarily arrested peaceful protesters, including elderly women and young activists, on Sunday.
Among those detained were notable activists like Seema Baloch, Mahzeb Shafiq, and the elderly mother of Zafar Gishkori. At least nine women have been forcibly taken to an undisclosed location, raising significant concerns about their safety and well-being, the post indicated.
Such aggressive measures breach essential human rights, such as the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, as outlined in Pakistan's Constitution and international human rights agreements to which Pakistan is a party.
According to the post, the demonstrators were seeking justice for their missing relatives, who have been forcibly disappeared by state security agencies. Instead of addressing their valid concerns, the authorities reacted with violence and repression.
The ongoing trend of enforced disappearances in Balochistan, along with the absence of accountability for such serious human rights abuses, is profoundly troubling, Paank asserted.
Previously, Paank voiced concerns about a recent increase in enforced disappearances in Balochistan, where seven individuals were abducted between February 27 and 28, 2025. These disappearances, reportedly involving Pakistani forces, have caused distress among families and intensified the ongoing issue of missing persons in the region.
In a post shared by Paank on X, it was reported that four individuals Attaullah, Habib Ullah, Azum Qasim, and Hafeez Qasim were forcibly taken from Rahot Mashkai in the Awaran district after being extrajudicially detained on February 27. On the same date, Javed Baloch, the son of Ghulam Jan, was abducted from his farm in Shurodi, Mashkai Tehsil.
Balochistan grapples with multiple challenges, including state repression, enforced disappearances, and the extrajudicial killings of activists, scholars, and civilians. The region is marked by economic neglect and suffers from insufficient development, inadequate infrastructure, and limited political autonomy. (ANI)