Pakistan criticised over rising enforced disappearances after teen abducted in Panjgur

Balochistan [Pakistan] October 28 : A 17-year-old boy was reportedly abducted by unidentified men in Balochistan's Panjgur district last week, marking yet another disturbing episode in the province's long-running crisis of enforced disappearances. The incident coincided with the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) protest in Quetta, which has now entered its 5,981st consecutive day, demanding justice for the missing, as reported by The Balochistan Post.

According to The Balochistan Post, the abduction took place near the NADRA office in Panjgur, when armed men, allegedly associated with a "death squad," seized Sajjad Baloch, son of Qadir Bakhsh, and took him to an undisclosed location. Witnesses said Sajjad, who earned his livelihood as a shopkeeper, was taken in broad daylight while bystanders looked on helplessly. His family stated that despite six days having passed since the incident, authorities have neither acknowledged the case nor launched any investigation into his disappearance.

Meanwhile, the VBMP's protest camp outside the Quetta Press Club continues under the leadership of Nasrullah Baloch, who has long called for accountability and transparency in cases of enforced disappearances. Visitors from across the province have continued to show solidarity with affected families, sharing stories of their own missing loved ones.

Among them was Shafi Muhammad, who submitted his brother Jameel Ahmed's details to the VBMP. He alleged that personnel of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) raided his house in Quetta's Killi Nabiabad area around 3 AM and detained Jameel without presenting a warrant. Despite Shafi's attempts to register a First Information Report with the local police, no case has been filed, as highlighted by The Balochistan Post.

VBMP chairman Nasrullah Baloch condemned the incidents, describing them as "a grave violation of human rights." He stated that his organisation will present Jameel Ahmed's case before the Commission on Missing Persons and urged authorities to either bring detainees before a court or release them immediately. These continuing disappearances reflect Pakistan's deepening failure to uphold the rule of law and protect its own citizens in Balochistan, as reported by The Balochistan Post.

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