Pakistani forces forcibly disappear two minor boys in Balochistan: Rights body

Quetta, Oct 31 (IANS) Two Baloch children were forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces in Balochistan amid an escalating wave of enforced disappearances across the province, a leading human rights organisation said on Friday.

The latest incident comes against the backdrop of a continuing cycle of persecution marked by a surge in enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and torture targetting Baloch civilians.

Paank, the Baloch National Movement's Human Rights Department, mentioned that on Thursday, Pakistani forces conducted a raid in the Pullabad region of Kech district, forcibly disappearing two minor boys — Farooq, son of Syed Mohammad, and Abdullah, son of Rashid — from their home. Both victims are under the age of 15.

Condemning the "inhumane act", Paank described it as another example of Pakistan’s systematic policy of enforced disappearances in Balochistan.

"The abduction of children not only violates all moral and legal principles but also exposes the extent of militarisation and impunity in the region," the rights body stated.

Paank called for the immediate and safe release of Farooq and Abdullah, urging international human rights organisations and the United Nations to take urgent notice of the ongoing enforced disappearances of Baloch civilians, including minors, at the hands of Pakistani security forces.

Meanwhile, several human rights organisations on Thursday condemned the brutal torture and sexual assault of two women by Pakistani forces in Panjgur district of Balochistan.

Expressing concern, human rights body Baloch Voice for Justice (BVJ) stated that the victims--a mother and her daughter were reportedly detained by Pakistani security forces in Panjgur, brutally tortured, and later dumped in critical condition at a local hospital. The daughter was allegedly subjected to sexual assault during detention.

“This horrific incident is not isolated but reflects a broader and alarming pattern of violence, sexual abuse, and enforced disappearances of women across Balochistan. In recent months, several such cases have been reported — including the abduction of Safia Bibi during a military operation in Zehri and the enforced disappearance of 23-year-old student Mahjabeen Baloch on 29 May, who remains missing,” the BVJ stated

Condemning the horrific incident, the Human Rights Council of Balochistan (HRCB) said, “The sheer brutality of this act is beyond comprehension — targetting women through abduction, torture, and sexual violence exposes the moral collapse and impunity that define state operations in Balochistan.”

Such systematic violence against Baloch women, it said, is not only a grave human rights violation but also a deliberate attempt to silence and terrorise entire communities.

The HRCB called for an immediate and independent investigation, accountability of the perpetrators, and justice for the victims.

--IANS

scor/as