Pakistani security forces allegedly abducted five individuals in Balochistan's Kech and Gwadar districts.
In the troubled region of Balochistan, Pakistan, human rights concerns have reached a boiling point as reports of forcible disappearances continue to escalate. Over the past month, at least five men have vanished without a trace in the Kech and Gwadar districts, with no charges filed against them[1][5].
Recent victims include Sufian from Turbat, Muslim from Malikabad, and two brothers, Usama and Sadaqat, who were abducted inside a local shop in Gwadar on July 6[2]. The whereabouts of these individuals remain unknown, leaving their families in a state of distress and uncertainty.
This pattern of abductions is part of a broader trend in Balochistan, with over 151 enforced disappearance cases reported in April 2025 alone, accompanied by 23 extrajudicial killings and the release of 50 survivors who endured severe torture[3]. Many of the victims are young Baloch men and students, suggesting a targeted campaign to suppress dissent through abductions and torture.
Human rights organizations and local activists have condemned these acts, demanding the immediate and unconditional release of detainees, an end to enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, and the restoration of democratic rights. Protests have been held, such as a rally in Panjgur district following the extrajudicial killing of a rights defender associated with the Baloch Yakjehti Committee[4].
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has voiced alarm over the increasingly repressive environment faced by human rights defenders in the region[4]. Amid widespread documentation by groups like the Pakistan Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances, which estimates over 10,000 cases since 2011, these recent developments underscore the urgent need for government transparency, accountability, and cessation of these abuses to address the longstanding human rights crisis in Balochistan[3].
The Pakistani government is facing pressure to address the issue and ensure accountability. On July 2 in the Kech district, a man named Sufian, son of Ghulam Rasool Sufi, was forcibly disappeared by security forces in the Singani Sar area of Turbat[1]. On July 3 in the Malikabad area of Tump, another man named Muslim, son of Tariq, was abducted by a combination of uniformed and plainclothes security personnel[2].
Eyewitnesses reported that Usama and Sadaqat were forced into a vehicle and driven away, and no further information has been provided to their family since their disappearance[2]. The location of Muslim remains unknown.
As the international community watches with growing concern, human rights groups and local activists continue to call on the Pakistani government to end the practice of enforced disappearances and uphold the rule of law[1][2][3][4][5].
- The troubling news from Balochistan continues as the number of enforced disappearances increases, with recent victims like Sufian, Muslim, Usama, and Sadaqat adding to the general-news of human rights abuses in the region.
- Amidst escalating concerns over enforced disappearances, crime-and-justice in Balochistan is under intense scrutiny, as international organizations and local activists demand an end to these abuses, accountability from the Pakistani government, and upholding of the rule of law to end the ongoing human rights crisis.
