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During the 57th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, Sami Ullah, a representative of the Baloch Human Rights Council (BHRC), brought urgent attention to the escalating issue of enforced disappearances in Balochistan, the largest but least developed province of Pakistan.
In a passionate intervention, Ullah condemned the rampant human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings and the discovery of mutilated bodies of Baloch activists and defenders. Ullah stated, "Enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and the discovery of mutilated bodies of Baloch human rights defenders and socio-political activists are aspects of human rights violations committed by Pakistan in Balochistan. In a planned way, the security agencies are trying to wipe out the cream of the Baloch society physically." According to data collected by the BHRC, the situation in Balochistan has reached alarming levels. In 2022 alone, 367 individuals were reported missing, and 79 were found killed extrajudicially. Disturbingly, 38 bodies of unidentified individuals believed to be among the disappeared were recovered from a hospital in Lahore. The trend has continued into 2023, with a total of 416 enforced disappearances reported. Among these, 36 bodies were discovered across various regions of Balochistan, bearing signs of torture and bullet wounds. In the first half of 2024, 206 individuals were reported missing, and 15 of these individuals were found murdered, their bodies disposed of in different locations. Ullah emphasised that these enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings are blatant violations of established international laws. He urged the United Nations to take decisive action to protect the lives of the thousands of individuals still missing in Balochistan. The BHRC's call for intervention highlights the urgent need for international attention to the ongoing human rights crisis in the region, where many families continue to suffer in silence, searching for answers about their loved ones. (ANI)
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