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Three Baloch men have been 'forcibly disappeared' by Pakistani security forces in the Panjgur and Khuzdar districts of Balochistan.
The men--identified as Ali Haider, Siraj Rasheed, and Shahab--were allegedly taken by authorities at different times over the past week, the Balochistan Post reported. Ali Haider was reportedly detained on the night of October 16 during a raid at his home in the Korsak area of Khuzdar. He was taken to an unknown location, and his family has since been unable to establish his whereabouts. In a separate incident, Siraj Rasheed and Shahab were allegedly apprehended three days earlier while returning from Zamuran, located in the Parom area of Panjgur. Their families are also unable to trace them. The Baloch Voice for Justice (BVJ), a human rights organisation, has raised concerns over a recent surge in enforced disappearances in Balochistan, claiming that at least 18 Baloch individuals have gone missing in the past week across different areas, including Turbat, Karachi, Hub, and Panjgur. The BVJ has urged authorities to take immediate action to address this issue. In addition to the three men, BVJ reported that eight students were detained by Pakistani forces in Karachi on October 16. The students--Shoaib Ali, Haneef Badal, Ishfaq Khalid, Shehzad Khalid, Beebgar Amir, Zubair Karim, Qambar Ali, and Saeed Ullah--were reportedly taken without explanation. Furthermore, four individuals were allegedly removed from a hotel in Karachi's Saddar area, and their current location remains unknown, reported the Balochistan Post. Baloch activist Mahrang Baloch condemned the recent wave of disappearances, especially those involving students. In a statement, she voiced concern over what she described as a "systematic campaign" against individuals by state security forces. Enforced disappearances have been a longstanding issue in Balochistan, with international human rights organisations, including BVJ and Amnesty International, documenting numerous cases of individuals taken by state authorities without legal justification, the Balochistan Post reported. Families of the missing often face bureaucratic obstacles in their efforts to locate their loved ones, leading to widespread uncertainty and distress. (ANI)
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