Baloch medical student detained by Pak security forces, family calls for release: Report

Islamabad [Pakistan], June 21 : A 25-year-old student from Balochistan is said to have faced enforced disappearance following his apprehension by security forces in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, as reported by The Balochistan Post.

Shayan Mengal, a student at the Federal Medical College, was reportedly detained by Pakistani security officials on June 18 near the Islamabad Toll Plaza. He comes from Qaziabad in the Nushki district of Balochistan and is the child of notable tribal elder Haji Amir Hamza Mengal.

As per The Balochistan Post, no legal documentation was provided during his arrest, and no justification for his detention was given by the authorities. Family members stated that they visited various police stations and governmental offices to search of him, but no agency has acknowledged taking him into custody.

The family has appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) to intervene and secure Shayan's immediate release.

This incident occurs at a time when the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) has reported more cases of Baloch individuals going missing, with two additional families providing testimonies to the organisation this week.

Syed Anas Shah, a college student from Kalat, is reported to have been detained on June 13 while travelling with his relatives. His brother, Syed Umair Shah, stated that their vehicle was halted at Khadkucha in Mastung by agents from the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and other authorities. Anas was taken away "for investigation" and there is no information about him since then.

In another incident, Suhail Ahmed, a shopkeeper from Kharan who rents out audio equipment for weddings, was allegedly seized by CTD agents from Qilla Chowk Bazaar on the night of June 12. His family claimed he was taken without a warrant and remains missing more than a week later, The Balochistan Post reported.

VBMP Chairman Nasrullah Baloch denounced what he characterised as "extra-constitutional arrests," urging the government to act swiftly. He said, "These enforced disappearances are tearing families apart and causing them enduring psychological anguish."

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