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A fresh wave of allegations surrounding enforced disappearances and extrajudicial detentions has intensified scrutiny of state actions in Balochistan, with activists warning that the pattern of repression is expanding beyond the province into urban centres like Karachi.
Baloch activist Sammi Deen Baloch, in a statement posted on X, alleged that these incidents are not isolated but part of a "systematic policy" targeting Baloch communities. She claimed that extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances continue to occur on a near-daily basis, raising serious human rights concerns in the region. According to the statement, on the night of April 8, security forces reportedly conducted raids in the Shafi Goth area of Shah Ali Goth in Karachi. During the operation, nine members of a single family were allegedly taken into custody and subsequently disappeared. Among those detained were underage children and a woman identified as Shakeela. Such actions clearly violate constitutional protections and due process. The reported detention of women and minors has further heightened alarm, as it signals an escalation in tactics that were previously believed to target adult men primarily. Sammi Deen Baloch described the situation as indicative of a broader breakdown of legal safeguards, stating that the manner in which individuals are being taken from their homes reflects "a system operating above the law," with little accountability or transparency. Enforced disappearances have long been a contentious issue in Balochistan, where families of missing persons have repeatedly protested, demanding information about their loved ones. However, rights advocates now warn that the scope of these practices is widening geographically and demographically. The activist further characterised the situation as a "systematic and silent genocide," alleging that the continued lack of international attention has emboldened such actions by the Pakistani state. (ANI)
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