Kidnapping cases on the rise in Balochistan: Families demand justice amid security crackdown

Amid the ongoing unrest in Balochistan, a youth has reportedly gone missing after being detained by Pakistani security forces in Awaran district.

Wahid Baksh’s son Khan Muhammad was reportedly arrested by Pakistani security forces in the Jhao Koharo area on August 15, reports Balochistan Post. Since then, his/her family has not received any information about his/her whereabouts.

The report further states that her family has appealed to several human rights organisations as well as political and social activists to assist in her release.

Earlier, Pakistani security forces in Quetta forcibly disappeared singer Riaz Ahmed Baloch. he/she was kidnapped on August 14 at 7 pm.

Baloch, a resident of Killi Shabo in Jinnah Town, is believed to have been targeted because of her song. Her family plans to hold a press conference to demand her release and announce further action if she is not freed.

In March 2024, Hafiz Baloch, a postgraduate student at a Pakistani university, disappears while protesting against atrocities committed by Pakistani security forces.

Another man named Javed Ali, a resident of Mehnaz area of ​​​​Buleda, went missing while going from Buleda to Turbat on 31 July 2024. The victim’s family has accused Pakistani security forces of forced disappearance of the youth.

The areas most affected by enforced disappearances are Quetta, Kech, Mashke and Awaran. Several people were reported missing in July. Enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Balochistan are part of a disturbing trend known as the “kill and dump” policy. This tactic – allegedly used by government authorities such as Pakistani intelligence agencies and security forces – involves abducting individuals, often activists or nationalists, and then killing them, the Balochistan Post reports.

Enforced disappearances are a frequent occurrence in Balochistan. According to reports, more than 55,000 people are missing across the region. Human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have blamed the Pakistani military and intelligence agencies for these disappearances.