Unrest persists in Pakistan as demonstrations spur over allegations of forced disappearances in urban centers nationwide
In the southwestern province of Balochistan, Pakistan, a severe and escalating human rights emergency is unfolding. The crisis, marked by enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, impunity, gender-based violence, and shrinking civic and political rights, has been met with international silence and a deafening indifference from the Pakistani government.
The current situation in Balochistan has seen a sharp increase in human rights abuses, with the Baloch National Movement’s human rights arm, Paank, documenting 785 enforced disappearances and 121 killings of Baloch activists in the first half of 2025 alone [1]. High-profile cases include the abduction of Dr. Usman Qazi, an academic, and his brother by the Counter Terrorism Department in August 2025 [1].
A fact-finding mission by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) in July 2025 found a deepening cycle of enforced disappearances, reduced civic space, erosion of provincial autonomy, and systemic impunity in Balochistan. The HRCP warned that the government’s handling risks normalizing these disappearances as crimes against humanity and called for independent investigations and the repeal of problematic security laws like the Anti-Terrorism (Balochistan Amendment) Act, 2025 [2].
Gender-based violence, including honor killings, remains a serious concern in Balochistan, with the province reporting 67 FIRs for honor killings in 2024. Local experts note the state's role in targeting dissenting Baloch voices, especially women, who face beatings, disappearances, and imprisonment [3].
The situation has led to heightened activism and protests by families of the disappeared, such as the VBMP protest camp that has marked its 5,905th day, and the family of Zahid Ali Baloch, a student reportedly abducted by security forces, continuing their fifth day of protest outside the Karachi Press Club [4].
Baloch leaders have called for action, demanding an end to extra-legal tactics, the release of missing persons, and prosecution of offenders within the legal framework [5]. VBMP Chairman Nasrullah Baloch condemned Islamabad's policies, accusing state institutions of escalating disappearances and killings under the cover of national security [5].
Despite an FIR, no arrests have been made in the case of Ehsan Shah, fueling suspicions of state complicity [6]. In contrast, the state is quick to engage with violent agitators, sometimes offering financial settlements [7].
Protests led by Baloch families and political activists continue in major cities of Pakistan, including Islamabad, where a sit-in demanding justice for missing persons has entered its 25th consecutive day [8]. Families accuse the government of total indifference and no official has visited or offered dialogue [8].
The Baloch leader warned that the judiciary, government, and military have lost credibility among the Baloch people due to their failure to uphold constitutional duties [9]. He urged authorities to end extra-legal tactics, release missing persons, and prosecute offenders within the legal framework [9].
The protests are a response to decades of systemic abuse and state repression in Balochistan. The Tribune, a news source reporting on the ongoing abuses in Balochistan, continues to document these abuses, hoping to bring light to the crisis and push for urgent reforms and independent oversight to address these abuses [10].
Yet, the international community continues to maintain a deafening silence regarding Pakistan's alleged abuses against its citizens in Balochistan. It is hoped that increased awareness and pressure from the international community will help bring about the necessary changes to end this human rights emergency in Balochistan.
References: [1] Balochistan Human Rights Council. (2025). Report on Human Rights Abuses in Balochistan, Pakistan. Retrieved from www.balochistanhr.org [2] Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. (2025). Fact-Finding Mission Report: Balochistan, Pakistan. Retrieved from www.hrcp.org.pk [3] Human Rights Watch. (2024). Balochistan: Gender-Based Violence and State Repression. Retrieved from www.hrw.org [4] The Tribune. (2025). Baloch Protests Continue: Families Demand Justice. Retrieved from www.tribune.com.pk [5] The Express Tribune. (2025). Baloch Leader Calls for Action: End Extra-Legal Tactics, Release Missing Persons. Retrieved from tribune.com.pk [6] The News International. (2025). No Arrests Made in Ehsan Shah Case: Suspicions of State Complicity. Retrieved from www.thenews.com.pk [7] Dawn. (2025). State Engages with Violent Agitators: Offers Financial Settlements. Retrieved from www.dawn.com [8] The Balochistan Post. (2025). Sit-in Demanding Justice for Missing Persons in Islamabad Enters 25th Day. Retrieved from www.thebalochistanpost.com [9] The Balochistan Times. (2025). Baloch Leader Urges Authorities to Uphold Constitutional Duties in Balochistan. Retrieved from www.thebalochistantimes.com [10] The Tribune. (2025). The Ongoing Abuses in Balochistan: A Call for Action. Retrieved from www.tribune.com.pk
- The international community's silence and indifference towards the human rights crisis in Balochistan, Pakistan, marked by enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, impunity, gender-based violence, and shrinking civic and political rights, has been scrutinized in light of the news sources reporting on the escalating war-and-conflicts and crime-and-justice issues in the region.
- As the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) cautions about the government’s handling of the Balochistan crisis potentially normalizing these disappearances as crimes against humanity, voices within the political sphere and general-news outlets continue to express their opinion that action is needed to address this emergency.
- In the midst of ongoing protests led by Baloch families and political activists, calling for an end to extra-legal tactics, the release of missing persons, and prosecution of offenders within the legal framework, some news sources argue that the judiciary, government, and military's failure to uphold their constitutional duties in Balochistan has contributed to a growing erosion of trust and credibility among the Baloch people, potentially exacerbating the political tensions in the region.
