Quetta: Continuing brutalities in Balochistan, the Pakistani Army has abducted 2 Baloch children and 2 women, adding to the list of thousands of such victims of ‘enforced disappearances’ in the occupied territory.
According to estimates, in the first 15 days of this month, at least 60 Baloch people became victims of enforced disappearances in Balochistan at the hands of Pakistani military.
This is the highest number of enforced disappearances reported in recent months.
In one such case earlier this month, the Pakistani military abducted two students of the University of Balochistan without any charges and their whereabouts are still unknown.
Sohail Baloch and Safi Baloch were forcibly taken away by the Pakistani military personnel from the University campus hostel, according to several eye witnesses.
‘Enforced disappearances’ is a term used for the cases where people are abducted by the Pakistani state agencies in illegal acts. The victims are never produced before any court of law and neither are they found alive again.
Over the decades, thousands of people of Balochistan have been the victims of ‘enforced disappearances’ and their families and friends have been waiting hopelessly for their dear ones to return, even as dead bodies.
In the month of September, 28 cases of enforced disappearances were reported in Balochistan besides 25 cases of extra-judicial killings of locals by the Pakistani state authorities, according to the Human Rights Council of Balochistan.
During the month of August, the reported cases of enforced disappearances were 28 while the number of extra-judicial killings were 45, according to the Council.
In July, 22 Baloch people became victims of enforced disappearances and 19 of extra-judicial killings in Balochistan.
For years, the people of Balochistan have been pleading with the international community, including human rights bodies, to intervene to end their oppression at the hands of Pakistani state agencies.
