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Concerns over the human rights situation in Pakistan, including alleged enforced disappearances in Balochistan and attacks against religious minorities, were raised during the 63rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Speaking during the General Debate under Agenda Item 4, Diana Stephanie Dehimat made an urgent appeal concerning Dr Sabiha Baloch, who is associated with the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC). Referring to Dr Baloch's concerns, Dehimat said she feared that she could be arrested, forcibly disappeared or killed for speaking about the situation of the Baloch people. She said five of her colleagues were already in prison for peacefully raising concerns over human rights violations. Dehimat also referred to the cases of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leaders Dr Mahrang Baloch and Sibghatullah Shah, claiming that they were serving life sentences following proceedings that had raised concerns over due process. She cited documentation by PAANK, according to which 1,223 cases of enforced disappearance and 188 extrajudicial killings were recorded in Balochistan in 2025. She also alleged that civilians, including children, had lost their lives during military operations. Calling for international attention to the situation, Dehimat urged the United Nations to investigate alleged human rights violations in Balochistan and called on Pakistan to address enforced disappearances, protect civilians and human rights defenders, and ensure accountability. In a separate intervention, Mariana Katzarova, a representative of United for Human Rights, raised concerns over the situation of religious minorities in Pakistan, including Hindus, Christians, Sikhs and Kalash communities. The speaker said religious minorities, who, according to the intervention, constitute around 3.5 per cent of Pakistan's population, face discrimination and attacks. The intervention referred to the August 2023 violence in Jaranwala, Punjab, where Christian homes and churches were attacked following allegations of blasphemy against two Christian men. The speaker cited a Human Rights Commission of Pakistan report concerning the use of loudspeakers at a mosque near Christian settlements during the Jaranwala violence and referred to reported attacks on a Hindu temple in Punjab. The intervention also raised the alleged desecration of 76 gravestones in Kotli and Kashmir and referred to the June 2026 killing of an elderly Sikh couple. The speaker urged the Human Rights Council to call on Pakistan to address what was described in the intervention as systematic discrimination against religious minorities and to uphold protections under Articles 2, 18, 26 and 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. (ANI)
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