Pakistani security forces have forcibly disappeared at least five civilians in Balochistan in a fresh wave of enforced disappearances, the Baloch National Movement's Human Rights Department, Paank, stated on Thursday, 7 May. The incidents, spanning multiple districts, add to a documented pattern of arbitrary detentions and extrajudicial killings that rights groups say is escalating across the province.

Key Incidents and Victims

Two teachers — Abdul Hameed, 45, and Nasir Ali, 36 — were abducted on 5 May from the Paroom region in Panjgur district by personnel of Pakistan's Frontier Corps, according to Paank. The rights body described the targeting of educators as "deeply alarming," adding that it "reflects a disturbing pattern of arbitrary detentions and human rights violations in Balochistan."

In a separate case, Altaf Hussain Baloch, 27, was abducted on 2 May from Hub Chowki by personnel of Pakistan's Counter Terrorism Department (CTD). Paank condemned the incident, stating, "Such actions violate fundamental human rights and leave families in prolonged anguish and uncertainty."

On the same day, Jan Khan, 40, and his son Abdul Sattar, 20, were abducted from their home in the provincial capital Quetta, also by CTD personnel.

Rights Body Demands Accountability

Paank has called on Pakistani authorities to immediately release the missing persons or produce them before a court of law. The organisation has also appealed for an end to enforced disappearances and demanded accountability for those responsible. Notably, the incidents span at least three districts and involve two separate security agencies — the Frontier Corps and the CTD — suggesting a coordinated pattern rather than isolated incidents.

Student Protest Enters Fifteenth Day

This comes amid a sustained sit-in protest by students outside Bolan Medical College (BMC) in Quetta, which entered its fifteenth consecutive day on Wednesday. Demonstrators are demanding the release of Khadija Baloch, who, according to the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), was abducted on 21 April by Pakistani security forces from the BMC female hostel in Quetta and shifted to an undisclosed location.

The BYC expressed frustration at the lack of government response, stating, "For the past fifteen days, the sit-in protest has continued without any meaningful progress from the administration. This persistent negligence has further deepened the concerns of the family and protesters."

Broader Crisis in Balochistan

Balochistan has long been at the centre of allegations of systematic human rights abuses by Pakistani security forces, with enforced disappearances among the most frequently documented violations. Rights organisations have repeatedly flagged that civilians — including professionals such as teachers and students — are disproportionately targeted. The latest incidents, reportedly involving both the Frontier Corps and the CTD, underscore what Paank describes as an "unprecedented" escalation in atrocities against Baloch civilians. International human rights bodies and the United Nations have previously called on Pakistan to address enforced disappearances, with limited visible progress. With protests intensifying and new disappearances recorded weekly, pressure on Islamabad is unlikely to ease.