Paank, the Human Rights Department of the Baloch National Movement (BNM), has issued an urgent appeal to the international community, highlighting a deeply troubling case of enforced disappearances and collective punishment in Balochistan.
The appeal draws attention to the plight of two respected retired educators, Master Mureed Baloch and his brother Master Niaz Baloch, whose families have become targets of state repression following peaceful calls for justice.
According to Paank, on November 29, 2024, Master Mureed’s son, BahaDur, a university student at Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water & Marine Sciences (LUAWMS), was forcibly disappeared by Pakistani security forces from Uthal Bazaar. Despite continued appeals by the family, Bahadur’s whereabouts remain unknown. The incident is seen as a serious violation of international human rights law, particularly the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.
In response to the abduction, Master Mureed held a peaceful sit-in at the main gate of LUAWMS demanding the safe return of his son. In a shocking escalation, Pakistani forces allegedly retaliated by abducting and later executing the teenage sons of Master Niaz, Mehraj and Zaheer in March 2025. Both boys were reportedly tortured and killed while in custody in Mashkay, a region increasingly associated with custodial killings and disappearances.
Paank’s documentation indicates that at least twelve people were killed in Mashkay in March alone, including eight members from a single extended family. Many others remain missing, held without charge or access to legal counsel, while the region remains under a telecommunications blackout, blocking humanitarian access and media coverage.
“These atrocities represent a systematic campaign of repression,” Paank stated. “The use of collective punishment against families a practice forbidden under international humanitarian law reflects a dangerous and growing trend of state-sponsored violence in Balochistan.”
Calls for International Action
Paank has appealed to the United Nations, particularly the UN Special Rapporteurs on Torture, Extrajudicial Executions, and Enforced Disappearances, as well as the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID), to launch an independent investigation into these human rights violations.
Additionally, Paank has called on prominent organizations including Amnesty International South Asia, Human Rights Watch, and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to document and respond to the ongoing crisis.
They are also demanding that the Government of Pakistan immediately:
- Disclose the whereabouts of BahaDur,
- Release all individuals held incommunicado, and
- Ensure accountability for all cases of custodial killings.
“This is not an isolated incident,” Paank emphasized. “It is a chilling example of the widespread impunity and deliberate silencing of dissent in Balochistan.”
The appeal concludes with a poignant question:
“Where does a father go when the state becomes the perpetrator?”
And a firm declaration:
“Silence is no longer an option.”
