Pakistan’s Human Rights Groups Decry Surge in Enforced Disappearances Amid Intensified Repression
ISLAMABAD / QUETTA — In a coordinated public outcry marking the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, eight prominent civil society and human rights organizations—including Amnesty International, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), and Defence of Human Rights (DHR)—have condemned the Pakistani government’s failure to halt the pervasive use of enforced disappearances as a tool of political repression, reported by Dawn News.
The groups cited official COIED data showing 10,592 cases documented since 2010, with 140 new complaints in 2025 alone. However, many remain unresolved, with no prosecutions or meaningful compliance with production orders. They underscored that families are not only deprived of justice, but are also enduring ongoing trauma.
Regional voices underscore the heartbreaking reality:
- In Balochistan, the Human Rights Council of Balochistan (HRCB) recorded 112 disappearances in July 2025—of which 89 people are still missing, 15 kidnapped individuals were released, and eight died in custody.
- According to the Baloch National Movement’s human rights arm (Paank), 785 enforced disappearances and 121 killings were tallied in the first half of 2025 alone.
Adding to the turmoil, a philosophy student was abducted in broad daylight in a wave of fresh disappearances across Karachi, Noshki, and Kech—allegedly involving Pakistan’s ISI and military intelligence.
The rise in repression extends to legal overreach: security forces can now detain individuals for up to three months under an Anti-Terrorism Act amendment—fueling heightened fears of unchecked arbitrary detention.
Activists behind the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) continue to mobilize. Notably, human rights defender Mahrang Baloch—recently arrested for her nonviolent protests—has emerged as a poignant symbol of peaceful resistance and state retaliation. She eloquently asserts, “Speaking up for justice is not terrorism“.
Human rights advocates are making concrete demands:
- Immediate disclosure of the fate and whereabouts of all disappeared individuals
- Independent, impartial investigations in civilian courts
- Full accountability and reparations for victims
- Pakistan’s ratification of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Quick Takeaway
- Documented Cases (2010–2025): Over 10,500; 140 new in 2025.
- Regional Impact: Balochistan alone added 112 new disappearances (July 2025); 785 disappearances and 121 killings documented nationwide (first half of 2025).
- Escalation: Detentions under anti-terror law, daylight abductions, and prosecution of peaceful protesters.
- Voices of Resistance: Mahrang Baloch and BYC leaders highlight the moral fight against state oppression.
- Demands: Truth, justice, judicial accountability, systemic reform, and international oversight.
