Eid al-Adha brought grief instead of celebration for scores of Baloch families across Pakistan on Wednesday, 27 May, as human rights organisations and student bodies condemned what they described as an escalating wave of enforced disappearances of Baloch civilians — including women — allegedly carried out by Pakistani security forces. For families with missing loved ones, the festival has become, in the words of activists, a symbol of 'waiting, uncertainty, and grief.'

Students Disappeared Across Punjab and Islamabad

The Baloch Students Council (BSC) of Pakistan's Punjab province reported that multiple students affiliated with its Punjab and Islamabad chapters have been forcibly disappeared, with their families receiving no credible information about their detention or whereabouts. The BSC stated that the situation 'not only causes severe mental anguish for the affected families but also raises serious questions regarding fundamental human and legal principles.'

'On the occasion of Eid al-Adha, while people around the world are celebrating with their families, the parents, siblings, and loved ones of the forcibly disappeared Baloch students are immersed in the sorrow of separation from their dear ones,' the BSC, Punjab, said in a statement.

Baloch Woman Reportedly Disappeared for Second Time

In a separate incident, Habiba Peerjan, a resident of the Nazarabad Tump region in Balochistan currently based in Karachi, was reportedly forcibly disappeared by Pakistani security forces on 25 May following a raid at her residence in Baldia Town. According to the Baloch Women Forum (BWF), this marks her second enforced disappearance — she was previously detained in May 2022 and released days later.

'The repeated targeting of Baloch women through enforced disappearances highlights a deeply troubling system of repression and collective punishment. It has created an atmosphere of fear and instability, leaving families in prolonged uncertainty without access to information, legal remedy or accountability,' the BWF stated. Paank, the human rights department of the Baloch National Movement, demanded Habiba's immediate and safe release, and called on Pakistani authorities to end the practice of enforced disappearances and harassment of families in Balochistan and Karachi.

Large-Scale Raids Reported Across Balochistan

Pakistani forces also reportedly conducted large-scale search operations across several parts of Balochistan on Monday. According to The Balochistan Post, citing sources, a shopkeeper identified as Saif-ur-Rehman was forcibly disappeared during a late-night raid in the Doctor Colony area of Khuzdar district. Reports further indicate that six additional individuals were picked up in separate operations across the district, though their identities remain unconfirmed.

Separately, Pakistani forces along with Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) personnel reportedly conducted an overnight search operation in the Windar area of Lasbela district. Residents alleged that house-to-house searches were accompanied by incidents of assault, vandalism, and looting. Several civilians were reportedly taken into custody, with their current whereabouts unknown.

Broader Pattern of Concern

Enforced disappearances in Balochistan have been documented by Pakistani and international human rights bodies for over two decades, with the issue remaining unresolved despite repeated judicial interventions. This comes amid heightened civil unrest in the province, where Baloch civil society groups have intensified protests in recent months demanding accountability from the state. Critics argue that the timing of operations around religious festivals compounds the psychological toll on already-affected communities. Pakistani authorities have not publicly responded to the specific allegations raised by the BSC, BWF, or Paank.