Balochistan witnessed 54 incidents of enforced disappearances in June 2024: Report

Quetta [Pakistan], July 7 : The Pakistani forces have allegedly detained 54 individuals across 12 districts of Balochistan, Pakistan in June, raising concerns about the surge in cases of enforced disappearances, according to a report.
PAANK, the human rights wing of the Baloch National Movement (BNM) on Sunday released its monthly report on the human rights issues faced by the Baloch community in Pakistan.
The findings of the report revealed that the Balochistan province witnessed four victim torture incidents, two incidents of extrajudicial killings, and 54 incidents of enforced disappearances.
According to the report, the Pakistani forces allegedly detained 54 individuals across 12 districts of Balochistan.
Additionally, in June an incident related to suicide linked with psychological trauma inflicted by enforced disappearances was also witnessed in Balochistan after the victim Aqeel Ahmed was abducted from Mulai Bazar in Turbat district during the third week of June.
The PAANK report quoted the statement of a Psychologist, who stated that Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has reached epidemic levels in the Balochistan province.
Increasing the level of struggle and pain faced by the victims of incidents of Enforced disappearances, torture, and military operations.
The report further highlighted that the Balochistan province has also witnessed a major increase in the number of protests over all extrajudicial activities, particularly in the Makran division.
The report further mentioned that the Kech, Dera Bugti, Mastung and Awaran districts of Balochistan witnessed the highest number of enforced disappearances. The number of these incidents totals up to 37 cases of enforced disappearances.
The issue of enforced disappearance has been a major problem for the people of Pakistan, according to Dawn.
As many as 197 missing persons cases reports have been submitted to the Pakistan Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances (COIOED) in the first half of the year 2024.
The commission stated that the total number of cases received up till June 30 was 10,285 while 8,015 cases were disposed of with a total of 6,464 people traced so far and 1,551 cases disposed of, Dawn reported.
The commission was set up in 2011 to trace the missing persons and fix responsibility on the individuals or organisations responsible, Dawn reported. The report further showed that 226 cases were disposed of in the first six months of 2023.
It further added that 2,270 cases were left while 4,514 were returned home, 1,002 were present in internment centres, 671 were in prisons and 277 were found dead. It said that 47 cases were received in June and 28 were disposed of with 13 of them unrelated to enforced disappearances, nine returned to their homes, three were confined in internment centres, two were confined in jails and one person's dead body was found, according to Dawn.