Human rights organisation Paank, the rights wing of the Baloch National Movement (BNM), has raised fresh alarm over a surge in enforced disappearances of civilians in Balochistan, Pakistan, flagging at least five new cases in recent months and calling on Pakistani authorities to immediately disclose the whereabouts of all those taken. The warning was issued on Tuesday, 15 September 2026, as the province continues to reel under what rights groups describe as a pattern of extrajudicial abductions.

The Latest Case: Fahad Anwar

According to Paank, Fahad Anwar, a 20-year-old student and part-time tailor from Mullahi Bazar, Turbat, was forcibly taken from his home at approximately 1 am on the night of 19 August. He is the son of Anwar and had been working at a cloth-sewing shop in Turbat while pursuing his studies.

'His family has the right to know his fate and whereabouts. Paank urges relevant authorities to investigate this case and end the practice of enforced disappearances in Balochistan,' the rights body stated.

A String of Abductions Across the Province

The Fahad Anwar case is not isolated. Paank had earlier reported that Saddam Bugti, aged 40, was reportedly abducted on 29 August from the Nawab Bazar area in Dera Bugti district, allegedly by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD). In a separate incident on 26 August, two labourers — Majid Shahwani, 28, and Abdur Razzaq — were allegedly taken from the same area by CTD and police. Additionally, Muhammad Nasir, 23, was reportedly removed from his residence in the provincial capital, Quetta, in July, allegedly by ISI and CTD.

'Enforced disappearance violates fundamental human rights and must be immediately ended. Pakistani authorities must disclose the fate and whereabouts of all four individuals and ensure that anyone detained is held in accordance with the law and afforded due process,' Paank said.

Minors Among the Disappeared in Kech District

The Baloch Women Forum (BWF) on 30 August condemned the enforced disappearance of three civilians from Kech district, including two minor girls. The victims were identified as Shahnaz, 17, and Sharanaz, 14 — both students — as well as Arif Essa, 50. The BWF noted that both girls had previously been subjected to enforced disappearance, describing their repeated abduction as a 'grave and deeply disturbing violation of their fundamental rights.'

'The increasing abduction of Baloch women and girls, particularly students and minors, represents a deeply alarming escalation in the use of enforced disappearance as a tool of repression. Families are being deprived of their loved ones without explanation, without judicial oversight and without any information about their safety or whereabouts. No authority has the right to place civilians outside the protection of the law,' the BWF stated.

Broader Context and Pattern of Concern

Rights organisations have for years documented enforced disappearances in Balochistan as part of a wider security crackdown by Pakistani forces, with families often left without information for months or years. The province has long been the site of an insurgency, and critics argue that civilian populations — including students, labourers, and minors — have increasingly borne the brunt of counter-insurgency operations that bypass judicial oversight. This comes amid growing calls from international human rights bodies for Pakistan to ratify the UN Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and to establish an independent inquiry mechanism.

How Pakistani authorities respond to Paank's latest demands will be closely watched by international human rights observers in the weeks ahead.