GENEVA: United Nations Special Rapporteurs have publicly expressed deep regret that the Government of Pakistan has once again failed to respond to repeated communications concerning grave human rights violations in Balochistan, this time regarding the alleged extra-judicial killing of journalist and human rights defender Abdul Latif Baloch and his son Saif Baloch, as well as the arrest of rights activist Gulzar Dost.
In a new communication made public this week, the UN experts said they were “deeply concerned by the ongoing pattern of enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, and extra-judicial executions targeting members of the Baloch community.” The rapporteurs noted that Pakistan had once again provided no reply to their previous inquiries, echoing earlier communications (PAK 1/2025, PAK 6/2025, and PAK 6/2024) that also went unanswered.
According to the UN document, Abdul Latif Baloch, a veteran journalist for The Daily Intekhab, was shot dead in his home in Mashkay, Awaran district, on 24 May 2025, after four masked gunmen broke into his house in the early hours of the morning. His wife and two daughters witnessed the attack but were unharmed.
Mr. Baloch had previously been abducted and tortured by security forces in 2016, reportedly held at a military camp for over a year before his release. He was detained again in 2018 and routinely summoned and harassed by the military in the years leading up to his death.
The communication further reveals that his son, Saif Baloch, was detained during a military raid on 28 February 2025 and found dead nearly a month later, on 26 March, while his brother, Rashid Ali Baloch, a political activist with the Baloch National Movement, was abducted and killed in 2011.
UN experts described the killings as “apparent acts of reprisal” for the family’s journalism and human rights work, urging Pakistan to conduct “a thorough, prompt, independent and impartial investigation” as required under international law.
The communication also highlights the arrest of human rights defender Gulzar Dost, coordinator of the Kech Civil Society Forum, who was detained by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on 6 July 2025 without a warrant and charged with terrorism-related offences. Mr. Dost, known for documenting enforced disappearances in Balochistan, was released on bail a month later.
UN mandate holders criticized the misuse of anti-terrorism laws and administrative measures, including the controversial Fourth Schedule listings, against Baloch activists. They said such practices violate Pakistan’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention against Torture (CAT), both ratified by Pakistan in 2010.
“The continued use of counter-terrorism laws to silence journalists and human rights defenders in Balochistan reflects a dangerous pattern of impunity,” the experts said, calling on Islamabad to ensure accountability and protection for those exercising their right to freedom of expression.
Despite repeated appeals, the Government of Pakistan has not responded to any of the UN’s recent communications on the deteriorating human rights situation in Balochistan.
