Pakistani security forces allegedly subjected Abdul Qadoos Zarakzai and his 17-year-old daughter Aqsa to enforced disappearance on 5 August from Civil Colony in Khuzdar district, Balochistan, according to human rights organisation Baloch Voice for Justice (BVJ). The alleged abduction of a father and a minor girl is the latest in a documented pattern of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings that rights groups say continues to escalate across the province.

The Khuzdar Incident

BVJ, a leading Balochistan-focused human rights body, alleged on Monday, 10 August that Pakistani security personnel carried out the disappearance. The organisation has called on human rights groups and civil society worldwide to demand the immediate and safe recovery of the two civilians.

'A father and his daughter should never disappear into silence. Their whereabouts must be disclosed, and they must be safely returned to their family. Silence is not an option when lives and freedom are at stake,' BVJ stated.

Broader Pattern of Violence

The Khuzdar case follows disclosures by Paank, the human rights department of the Baloch National Movement, that in the preceding week alone, four civilians were extrajudicially killed and another four were forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces across Balochistan.

The dead — whose bodies were subsequently recovered — were identified as Inayat Ullah, Salman Bangulzai, Attahullah Baloch, and Haibatan. Paank alleged that all four had been taken into custody outside judicial oversight before being found dead, leaving families without answers or recourse.

'The four cases reflect a disturbing pattern in which Baloch men are taken into custody or forcibly disappeared, kept beyond judicial oversight, and later found dead, leaving their families without answers or access to justice,' Paank stated.

Four More Youth Allegedly Disappeared

Paank separately documented the enforced disappearance of four Baloch youth from different regions of the province. The victims were identified as 24-year-old Kamran Jumma, 19-year-old Najeebullah Baloch, 19-year-old Muzammil, and 17-year-old Jaleel. The rights body alleged the disappearances were carried out by Pakistani forces.

Paank called on Pakistani authorities 'to immediately disclose the whereabouts of all four individuals, ensure their safety, and release them, unless they are formally charged with a recognised offence and brought before an independent and impartial court.'

International Accountability Demanded

Both BVJ and Paank have urged the government of Pakistan, the United Nations, and the broader international community to take urgent action against enforced disappearances in Balochistan and to ensure accountability for those responsible. Rights groups have long criticised Pakistani security forces, intelligence agencies, and what they describe as state-backed death squads for carrying out custodial torture and extrajudicial killings with impunity.

The incidents underscore a widening humanitarian crisis in Balochistan that international observers say demands immediate scrutiny.