Quetta, July 30 (IANS) A leading Baloch human rights organisation on Wednesday strongly condemned the cycle of persecution of Baloch people by the Pakistani forces amid the ongoing wave of enforced disappearances in the province.
Paank, the Baloch National Movement’s Human Rights Department, mentioned that an individual named Saddam Hussain Kurd was forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces on the night of July 18–19 from his home in Killi Habib Faizabad in the provincial capital Quetta. Another Baloch civilian, Saleh Naeem, a resident of Pulabad in Kech district, also became the victim of enforced disappearance by Pakistani forces on July 28.
“These disappearances are part of a systematic policy targeting Baloch civilians and youth,” Paank stated.
The human rights body also sharply criticised the arbitrary arrest and racial profiling of dozens of Baloch students by the Islamabad Police.
Raising concern, Paank stated that the detention of these students, who were taken to the Secretariat Police Station and interrogated over alleged affiliations with banned groups, constitutes a “blatant act of ethnic targeting” and a grave violation of their fundamental rights, as enshrined in Pakistan’s Constitution and international human rights law. Such actions, it stated, undermine the principles of equality, justice, and freedom of expression, exacerbating the “systemic marginalisation” faced by the Baloch community.
“We are deeply troubled by reports that human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir, a vocal advocate for Baloch rights, was present at the police station and may have faced detention or harassment. Additionally, other individuals attempting to access the station were reportedly mistreated, further highlighting the authorities’ attempts to suppress dissent and silence those who challenge these injustices,” Paank stated.
Paank demanded the immediate release of all detained students and an end to the unlawful practice of racial profiling.
The human rights body called on the Pakistani authorities to uphold their obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention against Torture, ensuring accountability for these violations.
“We urge an independent investigation into the recent arrests, the provision of immediate access to legal representation for those detained, and concrete measures to address the racial profiling and harassment of Baloch students and activists. The voices of the Baloch community must be heard, and their rights protected, without fear of reprisal,” it emphasised.
–IANS
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