Quetta, Aug 24 (IANS) Another four civilians were forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces in Balochistan, a leading human rights organisation alleged on Monday.
Paank, the Baloch National Movement's Human Rights Department, revealed that Kamal Baloch, a labourer, was forcibly disappeared by Pakistani security forces on August 20 during a raid in the Talamb area of Mand region in the province. Since his disappearance, it said, his family has been left without any information about his whereabouts, condition, or fate.
"The denial of information about a person’s whereabouts places them outside the protection of the law and exposes them to serious risks, including torture, ill-treatment, and extrajudicial execution. Enforced disappearance is a grave human rights violation and must not be treated as a legitimate form of detention," the rights body stated.
Paank called on the government of Pakistan and relevant authorities to immediately disclose Kamal Baloch’s exact whereabouts and ensure his safety and well-being. It stressed that "he must be released immediately, or, if there are legitimate criminal allegations against him, brought before a competent civilian court and afforded all due process and fair-trial guarantees."
Amid escalating violence against civilians across Balochistan, Paank strongly condemned the enforced disappearance of three Baloch individuals, including a woman, during a midnight raid last month by Pakistani forces in Awaran district,
The victims were identified as Rafiq Baloch, Shakir Baloch and his wife Gull Banok, reportedly taken to an undisclosed location and have since been denied contact with their families and access to legal counsel.
"The reported targeting and disappearance of a woman alongside two men is particularly alarming and reflects the escalating risks faced by Baloch civilians, including women, amid ongoing security operations," Paank noted.
Paank urged the United Nations, international human rights organisations, governments and global human rights defenders to raise this case with Pakistan and demand an end to the continuing practice of enforced disappearances in Balochistan.
On Sunday, the Baloch National Movement (BNM) held a march and protest in Germany’s Gottingen city condemning the recent airstrikes by the Pakistan air force in Balochistan’s Surab district that reportedly killed more than 30 civilians, including women and children, and injured several others.
“The protesters urged the European Union, the United Nations, and the international community to take immediate action in response to reports of civilian deaths and human rights violations in Balochistan. They called for an end to the silence surrounding the situation and demanded effective measures to protect civilians and prevent further violence,” the BNM stated.
--IANS
scor/ksk/as
