Kech [Balochistan] May 1: According to The Balochistan Post (TBP), two young Baloch students were reportedly abducted by Pakistani security personnel in Turbat, the main city of the Kech area in Balochistan.
TBP reports that security forces reportedly detained 16-year-old Adam Baloch, son of Saleem, and 17-year-old Shey Haq Baloch, son of the late Altaf Baloch, on Tuesday immediately after they arrived in Turbat from Karachi.
Shey Haq’s sister, Nugra Baloch, confirmed the incident on Facebook. According to her, the TBP report emphasized that both males were first-year college students who were being held by Pakistani soldiers and intelligence.
“I call upon everyone to speak out against this unlawful and cruel act,” she said in a letter. “Assist us in our struggle for the safe return of my brother and Adam Baloch.” According to the TBP report, Altaf Baloch, the father of Shey Haq Baloch, was murdered in 2008 when Pakistani soldiers allegedly opened fire on a nonviolent march organized by the Baloch National Front (BNF) in Turbat.
In another case, two young males, Usman, son of Abdul Ghani, and Amir, son of Dad Bakhsh, were allegedly abducted from a barbershop in Pasni, Gwadar district, on April 30. They both live in the town. Another instance has been reported from the D-Baloch district of Turbat, where the TBP report highlights that Abdul Majeed, son of Abdul Ghani, was reportedly abducted by unidentified armed persons as he was waiting for transit with his children.
In Balochistan, enforced disappearances remain a severe and enduring problem. According to the TBP study, human rights organizations have long charged that Pakistani security forces routinely target activists, students, and regular citizens.
UN human rights experts called the “relentless use of enforced disappearances” in Balochistan “a severe human rights violation and an international crime” earlier Tuesday. They also called on Pakistan to set up “independent and effective mechanisms for searching and investigating,” according to the TBP report.
