A human rights group in Pakistan’s Balochistan province has uncovered alarming abuses in the region, reporting 123 enforced disappearances and 26 killings in August alone. These incidents, blamed on security forces and Pakistan-backed death squads, highlight ongoing human rights violations in Balochistan that have drawn international concern.
The Human Rights Council of Balochistan (HRCB) released its latest report on Monday from Quetta, detailing how 106 people remain missing after being taken away. Out of the 123 cases, authorities released 12 individuals, but five others died in custody through extrajudicial killings. Enforced disappearances like these continue to plague Balochistan, with families left searching for answers.
Quetta saw the most abductions, with 27 cases, while Kech followed close behind at 25 and Dera Bugti at 15. Other hotspots included Gwadar with nine, Awaran with eight, and Karachi with seven. Districts like Nushki and Panjgur each reported five, and smaller numbers came from places like Dalbandin, Khuzdar, and Washuk. Even areas outside Balochistan, such as Punjab, Barkhan, Mastung, Kalat, and Harnai, had isolated cases, showing how these issues spread across Pakistan.
The report breaks down how these disappearances happened: Security teams raided homes in 81 instances, grabbing people off streets, from shops, or offices in 36 cases under the guise of arrests. Three were snatched at checkpoints, and another three vanished after summons to military camps. Pakistan’s Frontier Corps led with 60 abductions, intelligence agencies handled 33, the Counter Terrorism Department took 28, and death squads were behind two.
Beyond the disappearances, the HRCB documented 26 killings in August—24 men and two women—mostly tied to targeted attacks by security forces and death squads. Nine victims died in such strikes, five bodies turned up later, and four were killed while held in custody. Four more deaths stemmed from so-called honor killings, two happened during clashes, one from mortar shelling, and one from random gunfire.
Kech topped the list for killings with 10 cases, followed by Panjgur and Washuk at four each. Kachhi, Khuzdar, and Naseerabad each saw two, while Awaran and Kharan reported one apiece. The month also brought widespread internet and mobile service blackouts across Balochistan, plus the enforcement of Section 144, which curbs public gatherings and freedoms.
These findings from the HRCB underscore the urgent need for accountability amid rising human rights abuses in Balochistan, as activists call on Pakistan and the global community to step in.
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