Pakistan: Human rights body decries enforced disappearance of Safar Baloch
Apr 09, 2025
Balochistan [Pakistan], April 9 : Pakistan's leading human rights body, Paank strongly condemned the enforced disappearance of Safar Baloch who was forcibly disappeared by state intelligence agencies in Balochistan.
Sharing the details in a post on X, Paank noted that he was abducted on April 8 and was extrajudicially detained from his shop located at the customs area of Quetta.
Paank called his abduction an act of blatant violation of both domestic and international human rights laws, including the right to liberty, security, and protection from arbitrary detention as enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Pakistan is a state party.
Paank called his disappearance to be not an isolated incident but rather a part of a systematic campaign of enforced disappearances that has plagued Balochistan for decades.
It gave a call to international organisations, civil society and the UN to take urgent action and pressure the Pakistani authorities to end this brutal practice of enforced disappearances.
"Paank strongly condemns the enforced disappearance of Chief Safar Baloch, who was abducted today, April 8, 2025, by state intelligence agencies in Quetta, #Balochistan. According to verified reports, Chief Safar Baloch was extrajudicially detained from his shop located at the customs area of Quetta, the capital city of Balochistan, and has since been held incommunicado. This act is a blatant violation of both domestic and international human rights laws, including the right to liberty, security, and protection from arbitrary detention as enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Pakistan is a state party. Chief Safar Baloch's disappearance is not an isolated incident but part of a systematic campaign of enforced disappearances that has plagued Balochistan for decades. Families of the disappeared continue to live in anguish, denied justice and accountability. We demand the immediate and unconditional release of Chief Safar Baloch. The Pakistani state must be held accountable for its continued violations against the Baloch people. Paank calls on international human rights organizations, the United Nations, and civil society to take urgent action and pressure the Pakistani authorities to end this brutal practice of enforced disappearances", Paank wrote on X.
https://x.com/paank_bnm/status/1909681116505948299
Balochistan struggles with state repression, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings of activists, scholars, and civilians. The region faces economic neglect, poor infrastructure, and limited political autonomy. Despite its wealth of natural resources, local communities benefit little, while forced disappearances continue to be a widespread issue.
