Have Three Baloch Civilians in Quetta Been Forcibly Disappeared by Pakistani Forces?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Quetta, Jan 5 (NationPress) The ongoing pattern of persecution against civilians in Balochistan persists, as a prominent human rights organization reported the enforced disappearance of three Baloch civilians, including two brothers, allegedly by Pakistani security forces on Monday. Paank, the Human Rights Department of the Baloch National Movement, condemned these incidents, stating that the three civilians were seized during a late-night operation on Sunday at Qambrani House in the Killi Suhrab Khan area of Quetta, executed by personnel from Pakistan’s Frontier Corps (FC) and Counter Terrorism Department (CTD).
The individuals have been identified as Naseebullah, 40, a political activist associated with the National Party in Balochistan, alongside brothers Umer Baloch, 23, a student, and Dawood Baloch, 21, a mechanic.
According to Paank, their current location remains unknown, raising significant concerns for their safety and welfare.
Additionally, another rights organization, Baloch Voice for Justice (BVJ), voiced alarm regarding the disappearance of 13-year-old student Gohram Faiz Muhammad from Qambarani Road in Quetta, who was reportedly taken by Pakistani security forces on Sunday and moved to an undisclosed location.
“The role of state security forces in the disappearance of a minor constitutes a serious breach of international human rights law and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which ensures protection for every child from arbitrary arrest, enforced disappearance, and maltreatment,” the BVJ remarked.
The organization urgently called on the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and global human rights entities to intervene without delay to ensure Gohram's safe return and safeguard children in Balochistan from ongoing violations perpetrated by Pakistani forces. It emphasized that “enforced disappearances of minors represent grave international crimes that must cease immediately.”
Balochistan continues to endure relentless atrocities at the hands of Pakistani authorities, who facilitate death squads in the region to execute enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and unlawful detentions aimed at Baloch individuals.