Vanished Without a Trace: Enforced Disappearances Plague Balochistan

In the wake of raids in the Mirabad area of Tump, Kech district, at least five individuals have reportedly become victims of enforced disappearance by Pakistani security forces, The Balochistan Post revealed. The operation, part of a series conducted in Mirabad and Neckwah, initially led to several detentions, but five people remain unaccounted for and are feared to be in the custody of the military.

The victims have been identified as Ayub, Fazal, Saeed, Zia-ul-Haq, and Abid Ali, whose families have yet to receive any official updates on their condition or location, according to The Balochistan Post. The issue of enforced disappearances remains a severe concern in Balochistan, with Pakistani forces frequently accused of abducting civilians without legal grounds. Families often claim the missing are either held without communication or later discovered dead under suspicious circumstances.

Adding to the region's plight is the case of Zafarullah Bangulzai, a student from Engineering University Khuzdar, missing for 15 years after allegedly being detained by security forces on July 13, 2010, during a military operation in Kabu village, Mastung district. His mother described these years as 'unbearable psychological torture' and appealed to international human rights organizations for intervention, urging the global community to raise their voice against forced disappearances.

(With inputs from agencies.)