Widespread human rights violations reported in Balochistan: 151 enforced disappearances, 80 killings in March 2025

Balochistan [Pakistan], April 24 (ANI): A recent report by the Human Rights Council of Balochistan (HRCB), as cited by The Balochistan Post, has revealed a sharp surge in human rights violations across Balochistan in March 2025. The findings highlight a concerning escalation in enforced disappearances and killings amid crackdowns on activists and peaceful demonstrators.
According to the report, at least 151 individuals were subjected to enforced disappearances, while 80 people lost their lives in incidents involving extrajudicial killings and violent suppression of protests.
The HRCB, an independent rights organisation operating out of Balochistan and Sweden, stated that the Pakistani state's long-standing campaign of repression in the province has intensified. Much of the violence reportedly targeted members of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), activists, and peaceful demonstrators, resulting in hundreds of arrests.
Of the 151 forcibly disappeared, only 56 have resurfaced, and one person was transferred to a jail. The whereabouts of 94 individuals remain unknown. Security forces - including the Frontier Corps (FC), intelligence agencies, and the Counter Terrorism Department - were implicated in the majority of abductions. The FC alone was reportedly responsible for 97 disappearances, with over 60 per cent of cases occurring during house raids.
The highest number of enforced disappearances was reported in Kalat (38), followed by Quetta (23) and Gwadar (18). Students were the most affected group, with 24 cases. Others included labourers, farmers, drivers, doctors, teachers, and security personnel.
The report also documented 80 killings - 74 men and six women. The Kachhi district witnessed the highest number of deaths (33), followed by Kech (10) and Awaran (8). At least 39 of the victims remain unidentified.
While unidentified armed groups were responsible for 20 deaths, several incidents involved direct action by state forces or affiliated groups. One woman, Rehana, was reportedly shot while trying to prevent her husband's abduction. He was later found tortured and killed. In Sohbatpur, seven members of a single family - including two children - were murdered, and their house was set on fire.
Twelve people were allegedly executed by government forces, with their bodies transported to Quetta Civil Hospital before being buried in unmarked graves. The HRCB raised serious concerns over the lack of transparency, especially after the Edhi Foundation denied involvement in the burials, contradicting official claims.
The report paints a grim picture of the deteriorating human rights situation in Balochistan and calls for urgent international intervention and accountability for the escalating violence. (ANI)