Quetta, May 2 (IANS) At least nine civilians were forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces in Balochistan, said a leading human rights organisation on Saturday.
Paank, the Baloch National Movement's Human Rights Department, strongly condemned the enforced disappearance of two civilians, including 24-year-old farmer Qadeer Majeed and a student, Irshad Baloch, from the Khuzdar district.
Citing reports, the rights body stated that both individuals were abducted on April 30 from the Badrang Greshag area in Khuzdar by personnel of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD).
"Since their abduction, their whereabouts remain unknown, causing immense distress to their families," it noted.
Highlighting the atrocities against civilians across Balochistan, Paank further mentioned that as many as seven civilians were forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces between April 16 and 17.
The victims were identified as 44-year-old Pervaz Ahmed, 36-year-old Zubair Ahmed, 20-year-old Hasnan Ahmed, 22-year-old student Naqeeb Ullah, 40-year-old Abdul Jabbar, 28-year-old student Zeeshan Ahmed, and 32-year-old polio team field worker Abdul Rasool.
All the individuals were taken from the Kardagap area of the Mastung district, allegedly by personnel of Pakistan's Frontier Corps (FC) and CTD during separate operations.
Paank called on the Pakistani authorities to immediately disclose their fate and whereabouts, ensure their safe release, and hold those responsible accountable, stating that enforced disappearances constitute a grave violation of human rights and must be stopped immediately.
Meanwhile, the Human Rights Council of Balochistan (HRCB) raised alarm over the dire situation in Balochistan, citing 65 cases of enforced disappearance and 50 extrajudicial killings allegedly carried out by Pakistani forces across the province in March this year.
As per the findings, 50 people were extrajudicially killed, including 14 individuals who had previously been subjected to enforced disappearance and were later killed in custody.
The report stated that other fatalities were linked to a combination of incidents involving shootings and mortar shelling linked to FC personnel, as well as target killings carried out by Pakistan-backed death squads and unidentified assailants.
It further added that a total of 65 individuals were forcibly disappeared during the same period, with students emerging as the largest affected group. The victims included one woman and nine teenagers, with the majority of cases reported from the Kech district and the provincial capital, Quetta.
The HRCB also noted a wider pattern of repression and disruption to civilian life across Balochistan by Pakistani authorities during March.
"Police blocked a press conference by families of detained Baloch Yakjehti Committee leaders in Quetta, while curfew measures in Zehri disrupted daily life. Multiple night raids, property destruction, and harassment were reported in Turbat, Surab, and Gwadar," the rights body highlighted.
--IANS
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