Balochistan, the largest province of Pakistan by area covering around 44% of the state’s total territory, is currently facing several issues. Despite the large area, it is still desperate with escalation of human rights abuses, extra-judicial killings, and one of the major issues being faced is the enforced disappearances. It is a long standing issue of Balochistan where mass numbers of people have been forcibly disappeared with over 500 cases only in the very recent past – and still exceeding.
According to the reports, at the start of 2025, 30 people went missing from district Kech,14 from Awaran, 10 from Dera Bugti, 10 from Panjgur, and 10 from Gwadar. These are not the only cases of enforced disappearances, rather many other cases were unreported and unrecorded in multiple neglected areas.
The issue of enforced disappearances began over 20 years and continues to this day, with an average of five Baloch people disappearing everyday from different regions of Balochistan. According to local sources, military and associated forces are responsible for the abduction of Baloch people.
It is seen as a means to suppress and subjugate the Baloch people. The missing persons’ unsolved issue has been a long term issue in Balochistan, with numerous families being affected till today. The victims’ families have been undergoing from a tough and challenging situation being pains of their beloved members being forcibly disappeared.
Balochistan and its people are facing so many problems. Even the main roads from different locations have been blocked by the affected families. The people held protests in Makoran’s main cities like Turbat, Panjgur and Gowadar. And even the Koh-e-Suleman region, Taunsa Shareef and Kohlu, raised in protests. The circumstances in entire Balochistan are challenging.
On the other hand, Akhtar Mengal of Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) is leading a protesting rally-cum-sit-in against the government and demanding the release of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leadership and their members. The rally aimed at moving to Quetta from Wadh, but has faced state’s no-go direction and has been blocked at Quetta Lak-Pass.
The state, through its machinery, has done excavation of the roads and many squads of police and FC with shellings guns and with rifles and beating sticks are being used to stop their demonstration. Multiple obstacles are faced by the protesters and many Sardars are supporting the rally of Akhtar Mengal, but no government representative is ready for any dialogue or negotiation. The mobile internet was also banned by the establishment and people are facing so many problems. The people hold demonstrations regularly against government and it is said that protests rally continues as long as Dr Mahrang Baloch, BYC leadership and members are released safely.
Globally, the people are running X-campaigns every day for the release of Baloch activists. The World organization also appealed to the Pakistan government in eager to release Dr. Mahrang Baloch, but the Pakistani state has seen taking the issue non-seriously.
Dr. Mahrang Baloch held protests against the unlawful abduction of Bebarg Baloch who was abducted by Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), along with his brother. Bebarg is a patient who is lame and unable to walk properly. Dr. Mahrang Baloch held protests in Quetta on Saryab road when the police and FC squad opened the straight gunfire at the peaceful protesters and killed 4 to 5 protesters.
And then, Dr. Mahrang held protests with dead bodies on the Saryab road during the month of Ramzan against the illegal killings by the police. The State institutions, instead of solving the issue, cracked down on the protesters while arresting Dr. Mahrang and several others at midnight. Though plenty were released, several were produced on surface with charge of Article 3 of Maintenance of Public Order, but so many have been forcibly detained – further increasing the tensions of the issue of forcible disappearances.
The issue of enforced disappearances have become a national issue of the Baloch. People from every background have been targeted to the heinous crime. As long as this issue sustains, Baloch will continue to resist.
