33 disappeared, five extrajudicially killed in February in Balochistan: Report
Mar 07, 2024
Balochistan [Pakistan], March 7 : The Human Rights Department of the Baloch National Movement (BNM), Paank, stated that 33 documented cases of enforced disappearances were reported across various areas of Balochistan, highlighting a troubling surge in enforced disappearances and military actions in the region, The Balochistan Post reported.
The Human Rights Department of the BNM released a comprehensive report on the human rights situation in Balochistan for February 2024.
According to the report, out of 33 cases of enforced disappearances, 28 individuals were later released from torture cells, as reported by The Balochistan Post.
Reportedly, following the conflict between the Pakistan Army and Baloch Sarmachars in Mach, Balochistan, five individuals, who were forcibly disappeared while in custody, were labelled as attackers and subsequently killed.
The report further underscored the urgent need for in-depth research into the profound damage inflicted upon Baloch society.
It highlighted the coercion of Baloch youth into forced exile or collaboration with the Pakistani army, transforming them into living corpses or indifferent members of their society, The Balochistan Post reported.
The report also stated that the protests by Baloch people, often conclude with police assurances that the disappeared youths would be falsely implicated in cases to justify their arrest and detention.
Terming it a human rights violation, the report called for increased attention from human rights organizations and legal assistance for those imprisoned in Balochistan prisons, who were previously forcibly disappeared by the Pakistani army.
It further provided evidence of the enforced disappearances of five individuals by the Pakistani army in Mach and called for international intervention to halt the cycle of violence.
The report strongly denounced Pakistani military aggressions in Bolan, emphasizing the need for an urgent international investigation into the actions of the Pakistani army and urging the international community to press the Pakistani government for access to international organizations and media, reported The Balochistan Post.
The silence on these matters is detrimental to the dignity of humanity, the report added.
