Call for Global Action: Balochistan's Escalating Crisis of Enforced Disappearances

Naseem Baloch, leader of the Baloch National Movement, has strongly condemned the recent forced disappearance of Mahjabeen in Balochistan, a move that highlights the persistent injustices faced in the region.

According to a social media post by Baloch, Mahjabeen, a young student from the Besema area, was abducted in Quetta by Pakistani forces. Baloch described the act as both cruel and shocking, yet not unprecedented, citing routine abductions in Balochistan where the Pakistani military and paramilitary forces allegedly abduct and disappear individuals without a trace.

He emphasized that enforced disappearance is recognized as a grave crime under international law, yet Pakistan reportedly continues this practice unchecked, while the international community remains largely silent. Baloch urged global leaders to break this silence, drawing comparisons to the genocide against Bengalis in 1971 and asserting that a similar crisis is unfolding in Balochistan today.

The incident involving Mahjabeen, a Bachelor of Science student in Library Science at the University of Balochistan, has drawn widespread attention. Witnesses claim she was abducted from Quetta Civil Hospital by personnel linked to the Counter-Terrorism Department, Military Intelligence, and Pakistan Army Security Forces. Her case exemplifies a distressing trend of state-backed kidnappings that infringe on basic human rights and threaten academic freedom.

Enforced disappearances remain a pronounced human rights issue in Balochistan, with organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch persistently urging Pakistan to address and eliminate this deplorable practice, which inflicts severe anguish on victims' families.

(With inputs from agencies.)