'Forced Disappearances Rising': Activists Accuse Pakistan Military Of Persecution In Balochistan

Last Updated:March 16, 2026, 11:25 IST

Baloch rights groups claim that around 53 people have been forcibly disappeared since January 1 this year alone, alleging a systematic campaign to silence dissent.

Allegations of enforced disappearances in Pakistan’s Balochistan province continue to mount, with Baloch activists and families claiming that several individuals have recently been detained by security forces without any formal legal process. According to local sources and families of the missing, at least eight Baloch men have reportedly disappeared from different districts of the province in recent days.

Human rights activists say these incidents are part of a wider pattern. Baloch rights groups claim that around 53 people have been forcibly disappeared since January 1 this year alone, underscoring what they describe as a systematic campaign to silence dissent and suppress Baloch nationalist voices in the region.

Balochistan has long witnessed tensions between Pakistani authorities and Baloch nationalist groups, with activists accusing the military and intelligence agencies of routinely using enforced disappearances to intimidate political workers, students, and local residents. Rights groups say most detainees are picked up without arrest warrants, and their families are often left without any information about their whereabouts or legal status.

Among those recently reported missing is Saifullah, son of Attaullah, a resident of Killi Qambrani on Sariab Road, who was allegedly detained by Pakistani security forces. Another case involves Majeed, son of Ghulam Mohammad, a resident of Jiwani in Gwadar district, who local sources claim was taken into custody by Military Intelligence personnel along with members of the Frontier Corps.

Two brothers, Shams Zehri and Qamar Zehri, were reportedly detained in Khuzdar and later shifted to an undisclosed location. In another case, Amjad, a Baloch fisherman, was allegedly picked up from Karachi’s Mauripur area and later transferred to Ormara, with activists claiming that no case has been formally registered against him.

Families have also reported the disappearance of Balaach Peeral and Balaach Naseer from Kech district, while Abdul Ghani, a resident of Kharan district, was allegedly taken into custody by security forces but has not been officially shown as arrested.

Notably, activists point out that all the recent incidents of enforced disappearance have taken place during the holy month of Ramzan. Families say that since the detentions, they have neither been informed of the detainees’ locations nor have the individuals been produced before any court.

Despite repeated allegations by local human rights groups and international organisations, Pakistani authorities have consistently denied involvement in enforced disappearances in Balochistan. However, rights advocates maintain that the continued reports of such incidents highlight a long-standing human rights crisis in the province, where families of the missing continue to search for answers.

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