Balochistan: Paank raises alarm over escalating human rights violations

The Human Rights Department of the Baloch National Movement, Paank, has raised urgent concerns over the extrajudicial killing and the worsening human rights situation in Balochistan.

In a post on X, Paank highlighted the severe human rights violations in Balochistan during the month of October, which included 110 enforced disappearances across 15 districts, six extrajudicial killings, increased military aggression, abductions, forced migration, and a violent crackdown on protesters, with widespread detentions in both Balochistan and Karachi.

Recently, Paank raised serious concerns following the abduction of six Baloch civilians by the Pakistani security forces in the past three days. According to a post on the social media platform X, Paank noted that the incidents, which occurred between November 5 and November 7, have sparked widespread outrage amongst human rights activists and local communities.

The group is calling on Pakistani authorities to immediately release the detained individuals and put an end to the practice of enforced disappearances.

Paank also identified the six individuals who have reportedly been abducted by Pakistani forces in various regions of Balochistan. The group emphasized the urgency of addressing these abductions and ending the widespread pattern of enforced disappearances in the region.

Human rights violations in Balochistan have been a significant and ongoing issue for decades. In Pakistan’s Balochistan province, ethnic Baloch people have long alleged systematic discrimination, marginalisation, and a denial of political autonomy. The Pakistani state has been accused of forcibly suppressing Baloch nationalist movements, with reports of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and torture of activists, journalists, and civilians.

The Pakistani military, intelligence agencies, and paramilitary forces have been implicated in these abuses, with Baloch insurgents and pro-independence groups often targeted in the name of counter-insurgency.

In addition to violence, the people of Balochistan face widespread economic underdevelopment despite the region’s rich natural resources, including oil, gas, and minerals. This economic disparity, along with limited access to education, healthcare, and infrastructure, fuels discontent among the Baloch population.