Pakistan intensifies state repression as more Baloch men disappear in custody

Balochistan [Pakistan], November 16 : Four men have reportedly vanished after being taken into custody by Pakistani security agencies in the Kech and Panjgur districts of Balochistan, as incidents of such disappearances have seen an alarming rise in recent times.

Families and community members say the individuals were whisked away to unknown locations, after which all communication and information about them ceased, as reported by The Balochistan Post.

According to The Balochistan Post, the missing men have been identified as Haji Munir Ahmed, son of Mohammad Bakhsh; Majid, son of Qadeer Ahmed; Abbas, son of Bahar; and Mehran, son of Haji Akbar. Relatives stated that Haji Munir Ahmed was apprehended from the Chitkaan area of Panjgur.

On the same day, Majid was allegedly detained from the Isa area, also in Panjgur, under circumstances that families describe as arbitrary and coercive.

The other two men, Abbas and Mehran, were reportedly picked up in the Menaaz locality of the Bulaida region in Kech. Since their detention, there has been no official acknowledgement of their arrest, no disclosure of their whereabouts, and no access granted to their families.

These incidents fit a long-standing pattern of disappearances widely attributed to Pakistan's law enforcement and security apparatus. Human rights organisations, both local and international, continue to condemn what they describe as systematic enforced disappearances in Balochistan.

They have urged authorities to initiate transparent investigations, release detainees held without due process, and halt practices that violate fundamental rights, as highlighted by The Balochistan Post.

Simultaneously, reports have surfaced regarding intensified military operations, including raids and search activities in the Sibi and Quetta districts. Despite these developments, officials have neither confirmed any arrests nor acknowledged casualties linked to the operations.

As pressure mounts, rights defenders insist that Pakistan must confront the crisis of enforced disappearances and ensure accountability. Without concrete action, they warn, the region's long-standing grievances will continue to escalate, as reported by The Balochistan Post.

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