Pakistan: Two Baloch youth latest victims of ongoing cycle of enforced disappearances

Quetta, July 4 (IANS) A prominent Baloch human rights organisation reported on Friday that two Baloch youths were forcibly disappeared by the Pakistani forces from their homes in Hub Chowki district of Balochistan amid an ongoing wave of enforced disappearances across the province.

"Liaquat Mustafa, son of Ghulam Mustafa and a resident of Mashkai, was abducted during a late-night raid on July 3. His father, Ghulam Mustafa, also became a victim of enforced disappearance on January 15, 2016, and remains missing to this day," read a statement issued by Paank, Baloch National Movement's Human Rights Department.

"Similarly, Umar Atta, son of Atta Baloch and also a resident of Mashkai, was abducted under similar circumstances. He had previously been forcibly disappeared in 2016, and upon release, bore signs of physical and psychological torture," the statement added.

The rights body strongly condemned these repeated and systematic abductions by the Pakistani forces, stating that the targetting of individuals and families over years highlights the ongoing cycle of enforced disappearances and impunity in Balochistan.

Meanwhile, a complete shutter-down strike was observed on Friday in various parts of Balochistan including Chaghi, Nokundi, and Dalbandin on the call of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC). The strike was held in protest against the extrajudicial killing of Baloch youth Zeeshan Zaheer by Pakistan-backed death squads.

"Zeeshan's father has been a victim of enforced disappearance since 2015. Instead of ensuring his father’s safe return, the state returned Zeeshan’s own body — extrajudicially killed. We strongly reject the state’s continued atrocities against the Baloch people. These are not isolated incidents, but part of a systematic campaign of Baloch genocide. We vow to expose the war crimes being committed in Balochistan," read a statement issued by the BYC on Thursday.

On Thursday, the BYC organised a peaceful walk through Lyari in Karachi to protest the extrajudicial killing of Zeeshan Zaheer. The human rights body stated that before the walk could even begin, it was forcibly disrupted by Sindh Police.

According to the BYC, Amna Baloch, along with three other male protestors, was arrested on the spot. However, they were later released following widespread condemnation from several human rights organisations over the illegal detention.

"This is not the first time BYC's peaceful protests in Karachi have faced state repression. Sindh Police have repeatedly targetted and obstructed our democratic right to protest," the BYC mentioned.

Various human rights organisations of Balochistan have time and again highlighted the repression by Pakistani forces in the province, which includes violent raids on the homes of Baloch leaders and civilians, unlawful arrests, enforced disappearances, the 'kill and dump' policy, detention under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, and the filing of fabricated police cases.

--IANS

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