Amnesty International on Saturday, 30 May wrote to Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, demanding that Pakistani authorities immediately disclose the whereabouts of Dad Shah, a 38-year-old Baloch man from Karachi who has been missing since 21 April. The rights organisation expressed grave concern over his enforced disappearance and the subsequent harassment of his family by security forces.

How Dad Shah Disappeared

According to Amnesty International, Dad Shah was taken from his Karachi residence on 21 April by personnel reportedly from Pakistan's Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), accompanied by individuals in civilian clothing. Since then, his whereabouts have remained unknown, with authorities refusing to disclose any information about his fate or location.

Before his disappearance, Dad Shah was residing in Karachi and working with his brother at a family-owned shop. Notably, this is not the first time he has been subjected to enforced disappearance — he was previously forcibly disappeared in August 2023 and reportedly pressured during that detention to silence his sister's human rights advocacy.

Family Targeted for Speaking Out

Amnesty International's letter detailed a pattern of intimidation against Dad Shah's family following his disappearance. The family initially faced resistance from police when attempting to file an effective complaint, and the subsequent criminal report reportedly failed to name the state authorities involved.

On 25 April, Dad Shah's sister Fozia Baloch — a prominent human rights defender affiliated with the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) — and his mother were prevented from holding a press conference, subjected to ill-treatment, and arbitrarily detained by police. Amnesty described these actions as 'reprisals against family members simply for advocating for the rights of their family members' and a violation of their right to freedom of expression.

Health Concerns and Risk of Torture

The rights body flagged that Dad Shah suffers from multiple allergies, and his family has expressed serious concern for his health given his prolonged disappearance. Amnesty noted that his prior detention history 'heightens concerns for his safety and the risk of torture and other ill-treatment.'

Fozia Baloch is a well-known activist from Balochistan who campaigns for families of the disappeared and supports those demanding justice for victims of extrajudicial executions. Her visibility as a human rights defender has made her family a repeated target, according to the letter.

What Amnesty International Is Demanding

Amnesty International called on Pakistani authorities to immediately disclose Dad Shah's location and protect him from torture and ill-treatment, ensuring access to adequate healthcare. The organisation also urged his immediate release, stressing that he must not be subjected to what it termed 'trumped-up charges' designed solely to suppress his family's activism.

The rights body further demanded a prompt, independent, and impartial investigation into the enforced disappearance — including alleged CTD involvement — with full accountability for those responsible. It called for an end to all forms of harassment, intimidation, and reprisals against Dad Shah's family. This case adds to a long record of documented enforced disappearances in Balochistan and Sindh, a pattern that international human rights groups have repeatedly flagged to Islamabad without resolution.