Pakistan: Two kidnapped Baloch siblings return home, three more ‘forcibly disappeared’

Two of Barkhan’s brothers have been released and reunited with their families after their abduction earlier this month, while three more men have allegedly been forcibly disappeared from Turbat and Taunsa Sahrif areas of Pakistan’s Balochistan, reports Balochistan Post.

Saeed Baloch and Hanif Baloch have returned home safely, the Balochistan Post reported. Hanif Baloch, who holds an honours degree from the Department of Social Work at the Islamic University of Bahawalpur, was reportedly abducted from his/her home in Barkhan on June 4.

Soon after, his/her brother Saeed Baloch faced a similar fate as he/she was reportedly taken into custody by the Pakistani army, The Balochistan Post reported. These incidents led to protests by Baloch students.

On June 9, Baloch rights activist Mehrang Baloch highlighted the issue of enforced disappearances of Baloch students, saying that Hanif Baloch of Bhawalpur University was forcibly disappeared from Barkhan.

“Incidents of enforced disappearances of Baloch students have increased. Hanif Baloch, a gold medallist from Bhawalpur University, has been forcibly disappeared from his/her native village Barkhan, while his/her brother Saeed Baloch, a student of Punjab University, has gone missing after being summoned from Lahore and illegally detained,” Mehrang Baloch wrote to X on June 9.

he/she said, “Enforced disappearances are acting as cancer for Baloch society, swallowing our entire society, no person, home and region is safe from it and it is a dangerous form of Baloch genocide. Staying silent at home against Baloch genocide is not an option, rather we can stop it only through public resistance struggle.”

Mehrang Baloch also expressed concern over the silence of the international community on the atrocities being committed against the Baloch community in Pakistan. She expressed concern during a conference concluded in Beirut, Lebanon on Sunday, which highlighted the problems faced by the youth due to frequent wars and clashes in the Middle East and North Africa.

The event titled ‘Middle East and North Africa Youth Conference’ (MENAYC) was attended by many youth activists from around the world and over 80 delegates from 14 countries.

In his/her video message, Mehrang Baloch said, “We the Baloch people are facing terrible genocide even in the 21st century and we deeply regret the world’s silence over our plight. For seven decades, the youth, mothers, sisters and daughters of our country have suffered the worst tragedies of war.”

She said, “People all over the world are raising their voice for the oppressed people, but the biggest setback for us is that no human rights organisation has raised its voice for us, nor have anti-war advocates addressed our genocide. Today, when the suffering of the Baloch people is discussed, the issue of enforced disappearances comes to the fore. I say with full confidence that Balochistan is one of the regions with the highest number of enforced disappearances in the world.”

In his/her video statement, Mehrang Baloch accused the Pakistani army and intelligence agencies of carrying out enforced disappearances. he/she also said that the most affected among the Baloch community are the youth as they are often abducted when they speak out and express their concerns against the administration.

The issue of enforced disappearances in Balochistan remains a matter of grave concern, receiving widespread attention and condemnation. There have been numerous cases in which individuals, often activists, journalists or civilians, have been allegedly abducted by state authorities or unknown assailants and held without any legal recourse.

Their bodies are sometimes found dumped in remote areas, bearing marks of torture and abuse. These extrajudicial killings have created fear and deep distrust of state authorities among the Baloch population.

The practice has caused outrage and unrest among the Baloch community, leading to protests and demands for accountability. The human rights abuses, along with the lack of justice or accountability for the perpetrators, have led to growing anger and resentment among the Baloch population.