Quetta, Feb 22 (IANS) At least eleven members of the same family were forcibly disappeared by the Pakistani forces in Balochistan amid a growing wave of enforced disappearances across the province, a leading human rights organisation said on Sunday.
Condemning the incidents, Paank, the Baloch National Movement’s Human Rights Department, mentioned that Pakistani security forces raided a house in the Gazgi area of Khuzdar district on February 18, and detained Hayat Bibi, an elderly woman, taking her to an undisclosed location without official acknowledgement.
Her husband, Fazal Karim, and two sons had previously been forcibly disappeared in separate incidents.
The rights body further revealed that on February 8, seven other relatives were reportedly detained during raids in the Hub district and transferred to unknown locations, while Pakistani authorities have so far provided no information regarding their fate or whereabouts.
Paank expressed serious concern over the “apparent collective targeting of one family, particularly the detention of an elderly woman, and called on the authorities to immediately disclose their whereabouts, ensure their safety, and either present them before a court or release them without delay”.
In its latest report, Paank documented alarming human rights violations occurring in Balochistan, with a particular focus on enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings targeting civilians.
“The cases recorded during January revealed a deeply concerning pattern of state repression, arbitrary detentions, physical and psychological torture, and unlawful executions carried out by Pakistani security forces. These abuses underscore a continuing climate of impunity and fear across Balochistan,” the rights body stated.
As per the findings, a total of 82 cases of enforced disappearances were documented, reflecting widespread and systematic targeting of Baloch civilians.
Additionally, 44 victims were released after “enduring severe mental and physical torture, further illustrating the use of coercive interrogation methods”.
According to the Paank report, the extrajudicial killings by Pakistani forces in Balochistan continue unabated, with the Pakistani military reportedly detaining and killing individuals without due process.
The report recorded 12 confirmed cases of extrajudicial killings during the same period, “highlighting the lethal consequences of unchecked state power”.
Asserting that the findings reflect the deteriorating human rights situation in Balochistan, Paank called for independent investigations, accountability mechanisms, and international monitoring to protect vulnerable communities across the province.
–IANS
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