Quetta [Pakistan], October 10 : Amid ongoing atrocities and enforced disappearances in Balochistan by Pakistani armed forces, intelligence agencies have reportedly abducted two individuals from the Hub Chowki area and transported them to an unknown location.
According to a report by The Balochistan Post, Pakistani intelligence forces, along with military personnel, allegedly took two Baloch youths at gunpoint from a vehicle outside a hotel near Hub Bhawani Shah Pump late Wednesday night.
The missing youths have been identified as Imran Baloch, son of Muhammad Iqbal from Ameerabad, and Junaid Hameed, son of Abdul Hameed from Bhawani. Junaid works as a labourer for a local company, while Imran's father is a former regional councillor, The Balochistan Post reported.
https://x.com/paank_bnm/status/1843996922337776084
Paank, the human rights wing of the Baloch National Movement (BNM), also posted about this incident on X.
"Junaid Hameed and Imran Baloch, residents of Hub, Balochistan, have been forcibly disappeared after being extrajudicially arrested by Pakistani forces on October 9, 2024. Both were taken from a hotel near Bhawani Shah Pump. These enforced disappearances highlight the ongoing human rights violations in the region," Paank posted on X.
Paank urged for immediate international intervention to end such abuses and ensure accountability.
Earlier, Paank released a report detailing that Balochistan experienced 41 enforced disappearances, three extrajudicial killings, and 25 incidents of extrajudicial torture during the month. The investigative report examines critical human rights issues in Balochistan, focusing on enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and alarming road accidents.
The report also highlights how, under Pakistan's Fourth Schedule policy, peaceful political activists are falsely linked to armed organizations and labelled as suspicious individuals. For instance, Gulzar Dost, the convener of the Balochistan Civil Society, was detained in his home area to prevent him from attending and participating in Raji Muchi's activities.
Enforced disappearances in Balochistan are not isolated incidents; they form part of a broader crackdown on dissent, with Baloch activists accusing military and intelligence agencies of orchestrating these abductions to suppress demands for autonomy.