Enforced disappearances and custodial killings raise alarm in Balochistan

Balochistan [Pakistan], April 24 : Four men who had earlier gone missing in separate incidents across Balochistan have resurfaced after being held in what sources describe as unofficial "custody," intensifying scrutiny over alleged enforced disappearances in the province. Reports indicate that the individuals were detained without due legal process in the Kech and Noshki districts, as reported by The Balochistan Post.

According to The Balochistan Post, Rahim Bakhsh, a resident of Buleda in Kech, was allegedly taken into custody on March 2, 2026, and released more than a month later on April 6. In another case, Abdul Rehman from Noshki, missing since February 15, was freed on April 20. Similarly, Naveed Baloch, who had reportedly been missing since May 2025, reappeared in Noshki on April 19 after nearly a year.

Haji Nazeer Ahmed, also from Noshki, was said to have been detained on February 18 and released on April 20. Local accounts suggest that all four men were held by Pakistani security forces without formal charges or judicial oversight. Human rights advocates have strongly condemned these incidents, reiterating calls for an end to enforced disappearances.

At the same time, protests against such practices continue to gain momentum. A long-standing demonstration led by Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) outside the Quetta Press Club has now entered its 6,141st day. Families of three men, Safeer Sumalani, Amanullah Sumalani, and Irfan Muhammad Hasni, recently joined the sit-in, alleging that their relatives were unlawfully detained and later killed in what authorities described as an "encounter" in Mastung district, as highlighted by The Balochistan Post.

Relatives claim the three were picked up from Kardegap on April 16 and subsequently killed in custody. VBMP chairman Nasrullah Baloch termed the incident a grave breach of human rights and demanded an impartial probe, as reported by The Balochistan Post.

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