On 5 July , 17-year-old Faizan Usman, a Baloch student, was forcibly disappeared by Pak intelligence agencies in Islamabad’s Green Avenue. Reportedly, military intelligence agencies initially raided Faizan’s family home while he was not present. Under intense pressure and threats, his family was coerced into surrendering him to the authorities.
Despite assurances from the agencies involved that Faizan would be released, it has now been over two months, and he remains missing. His family, under threat of severe consequences, was explicitly warned against protesting or reporting his disappearance. Despite the risks, they have courageously filed a First Information Report (FIR) accusing the Pak agencies of abducting Faizan.
This case is not an isolated incident but a disturbing example of the Pak Army’s long-standing tactics of enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and the notorious “kill and dump” policy against the Baloch community. For decades, the Baloch people have endured systematic and clinical oppression under the rule of the Pak military, which has wielded its power with impunity.
Enforced Disappearances Continue
The Baloch community has been subjected to relentless persecution, with thousands of individuals, including students, activists, and intellectuals, forcibly disappeared, only to be found later as victims of extrajudicial killings. The military’s brutal tactics are designed to silence dissent and crush any movement for autonomy or rights within Pak-occupied-Balochistan.
Another recent victim of this grim reality is Khair Deen Baloch, who was abducted by Pakistan’s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) personnel from his home on July 12, 2024. Like Faizan, Khair Deen’s whereabouts remain unknown, and his family continues to suffer in silence, fearful of the Pak military’s retaliation should they speak out.
Human rights organizations, including Paank, have repeatedly called on the Pak authorities to end the practice of enforced disappearances and to ensure the safe return of individuals like Faizan and Khair Deen. The right to liberty and security, as enshrined in international human rights law, must be upheld. However, in Pakistan, these rights are blatantly and routinely violated, with no accountability for the perpetrators.