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Paank, the Baloch National Movement''s Human Rights Department, shared the details of the enforced disappearance of a Baloch man who had been involved in a campaign for the release of his father, forcibly abducted by forces ten years ago.
Sharing the details in a post on X, Paank said that Zeeshan Zaher was abducted by unidentified men on Sunday evening. As per Paank, Zeeshan had been actively involved in the campaign for his father, Zaheer Baloch''s safe release, who was ''forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces'' in 2015 and continues to remain missing. Paank noted that Zeeshan had notably participated in the long march to Islamabad, calling attention to the issue of enforced disappearances in Balochistan. It said on X, "This evening, Zeeshan Zaheer, son of Zaheer Ahmed Baloch and a resident of Khudabadan, Panjgur, was forcibly abducted by unidentified armed men from Football Chowk. Zeeshan is the son of Zaheer Baloch, who was forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces on April 13, 2015, and remains missing. In pursuit of justice, Zeeshan had been actively involved in the campaign for his father''s safe release, and notably participated in the long march to Islamabad, calling attention to the issue of enforced disappearances in Balochistan." Paank noted that Zeeshan''s disappearance forms a part of a broader pattern of ''state-backed'' targeting of Baloch youth and activists demanding justice. Paank strongly condemned the enforced disappearance of Zeeshan Zaheer. "Paank holds the Pakistan Army and its backed death squads responsible for this unlawful abduction and reiterates its call on international human rights bodies to take immediate action against the ongoing atrocities in Balochistan", it said in its post. https://x.com/paank_bnm/status/1939420740773621965 Balochistan has been the focus of persistent human rights concerns for decades. The region has faced cycles of violence involving separatist movements, heavy military presence, enforced disappearances, and economic marginalisation. These issues have drawn attention from human rights organisations, journalists, and international observers. Human rights groups have long accused Pakistani authorities of abducting civilians in Balochistan without due process, using enforced disappearances to suppress dissent and intimidate communities in restive areas. Pakistani authorities routinely deny these allegations, but civil society continues to condemn the security forces'' role in systematic abductions targeting students, political workers, and residents. (ANI)
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