Geneva [Switzerland] September 28 : During the ongoing 57th session of the United Nations Human Rights Commission, Sami Baloch, a representative of the Baloch Human Rights Council (BHRC), raised alarming concerns about the escalating cases of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Balochistan. He urged for UN intervention to protect the lives of thousands of victims.
Baloch stated, "We draw your attention to the troubling phenomenon of enforced disappearances in Balochistan. These disappearances, along with institutional killings and the discovery of mutilated bodies of Baloch human rights defenders and social-political activists, represent severe human rights violations perpetrated by the Pakistani state."
He emphasised that security agencies appear to be systematically targeting the most prominent members of Baloch society. According to data collected by the BHRC, the region has witnessed an unprecedented surge in brutality due to enforced disappearances and a "kill-and-dump" policy. In 2022 alone, 367 individuals went missing, while 79 were extrajudicially killed.
Baloch also highlighted the recent recovery of 38 unidentified bodies, believed to belong to missing persons, from a hospital in Lahore. From January to December 2023, a total of 416 individuals were reported missing, with 36 bodies found across Balochistan showing signs of torture and bullet wounds.
In the first half of 2024, 206 more individuals were reported missing, with security forces extrajudicially killing 15 of them, whose bodies were subsequently disposed of in various locations. Baloch emphasised, "These enforced disappearances and killings violate established international laws. We urge the United Nations to take action to save the lives of countless missing persons."
Pakistan has a troubling history of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, particularly targeting human rights defenders, minority activists critical of the government and military, and individuals linked to opposition groups. The unchecked power of the military, coupled with a complicit government, has fostered a climate of fear and repression in the region.
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