Baloch Human rights organisation Paank condemns alleged enforced disappearance of two brothers in Gwadar

In a post on X, Paank said the two brothers, sons of Muhammad Bakhsh, were allegedly taken by Pakistani military forces in Gwadar on August 22. According to Paank, Sajid and Akeel, residents of Sandum village in Kolwah, were working as labourers in the Kantani area of Gwadar. The organisation said the brothers were intercepted by military personnel while returning to their hometown and were subsequently forcibly disappeared.

"Paank strongly condemns the enforced disappearance of two brothers," the organisation said in its X post, adding that their whereabouts remain unknown. Paank described enforced disappearance as a grave violation of international human rights law and said it places victims outside the protection of the law, exposing them to risks including torture and other abuses.

The organisation held Pakistani state authorities responsible for the safety and well-being of the two brothers and demanded their "immediate and safe release." Paank also called for an end to what it described as the ongoing practice of enforced disappearances across Balochistan.

Paank, which works on documenting and highlighting alleged human rights violations in Balochistan, has repeatedly raised concerns over enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions and alleged abuses involving Baloch political activists, students and civilians. The organisation has time and again described enforced disappearance as a grave violation of international human rights law, saying that victims are placed outside the protection of the law and remain vulnerable to torture and other serious abuses.

The issue of enforced disappearances has remained a major human rights concern in Balochistan for years. Baloch rights groups and families of missing persons have repeatedly alleged that people are detained without due process and that authorities fail to disclose their whereabouts. Rights organisations have also called for investigations into cases of missing persons and greater accountability for those responsible. (ANI)