Pakistani forces have conducted a series of raids across Balochistan, leading to the forced disappearance of more than 50 individuals. These operations have taken place in Turbat, Dera Bugti, Sui, Barkhan and Kalat with numerous detentions reported, ANI reported citing The Balochistan Post.
The most recent raid occurred on the morning of November 28 in Turbat, where Pakistani forces stormed a residential area and arrested several individuals. On November 27, two people were abducted by Pakistani forces in Dera Bugti, Balochistan.
The situation is worsened by ongoing communication blackouts in the region, which have hindered efforts to verify reports and obtain information about the missing individuals.
The repeated abductions have raised alarms regarding the safety of people in Balochistan, especially those who have been targeted by the authorities in previous operations, as noted by The Balochistan Post.
Similar reports of forced disappearances have emerged from Barkhan and Kalat. In Barkhan, and in Kalat’s Iskalku area, residents have faced raids, harassment and confinement within their homes by Pakistani forces. The area has been under siege for two days with over 40 individuals detained. The situation remains tense, with growing concerns about the fate of those detained.
Due to ongoing network shutdowns, further details about those detained are still unavailable. The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) has urged human rights organisations to intervene and help secure the release of the forcibly disappeared.
The BYC has also condemned the silence of human rights organisations and the media, stating, “The genocide of the Baloch people is intensifying, yet human rights organisations and the media have chosen to remain silent, as if the lives of Baloch people do not matter. Whether we live or die is of no concern to the world.” The group has vowed to continue its resistance against what it calls the “genocide of the Baloch people.”
As enforced disappearances persist, the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP), a human rights group advocating for an end to these practices and for the safe return of missing individuals, marked the 5,650th day of its protest on November 28 in Quetta.
