Pakistan: Two lawyers among five ‘forcibly disappeared’ by Pakistani forces in Balochistan

Amid rising cases of enforced disappearances in Balochistan by Pakistani armed forces, five new cases have come to the fore, including two young lawyers, the Balochistan Post reported.

As per the report, a total of five individuals have recently been ‘forcibly disappeared’ from Quetta. This includes two young lawyers, namely, Advocate Fida Ahmed Dashti and Advocate Salahuddin Mengal.

The report further highlighted that Fida Ahmed Dashti was reportedly taken from his home by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and other unidentified masked armed men on Thursday night.

Similarly, Advocate Salahuddin, the son of Muhammad Ayub Mengal from the Naag area of Washuk, was allegedly abducted near Goli Mar Chowk in Quetta around midnight.

Eyewitnesses claimed that Salahuddin’s abduction involved personnel from the forces and intelligence agencies travelling in three Vigo vehicles, Balochistan Post reported.

In a related incident, Pakistani forces are said to have detained and forcibly disappeared three individuals in Kech district, Balochistan.

The missing persons have been identified as Akram, Abdul Malik, and Salahuddin.

Balochistan Post reported citing local sources that these individuals were forcibly taken into custody during a raid by Pakistani security forces in the Chab area of Kech district on September 6, 2024. Since then, their whereabouts have remained unclear.

The violence has also extended to protests, with reports of violent crackdowns in Gwadar and Mastung, where security forces have used live ammunition, resulting in multiple casualties and injuries.

Human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have documented these abuses, focusing on extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances. Despite these reports, the Pakistani government continues to deny any involvement, maintaining its stance amid mounting international criticism.

The persistence of ‘enforced disappearances’ in Balochistan remains a critical human rights concern, with substantial evidence indicating widespread and systematic abuse by Pakistani security forces. The people of Balochistan have been demanding urgent international attention and intervention to address these grave human rights violations.