Pakistan Army have detained and disappeared three individuals from POB, continuing a troubling pattern of enforced disappearances in the province. Two men from the Dasht area of Kech district were taken into custody on Wednesday, with a third person reportedly disappeared from the provincial capital, Quetta.
The two men were from Dasht’s Sholeeg area as Abdul Sattar, son of Khalid, and Tariq, son of Haji Hamza. Both men, residents of Dasht Sholeeg, were detained by Pak forces while honey hunting two days ago. Abdul Sattar is a young photographer, adding to the growing list of Baloch youth whose fate remains unknown after military intervention. Meanwhile, the individual disappeared from Quetta has been identified as Maqbool Zafar, son of Muhammad, who was taken from Killi Ismail.
This incident is part of a larger crackdown in the region. In Dasht and surrounding areas, a military operation has been underway for the past three days, with heavy movement of soldiers observed. During this operation, at least seven individuals have been forcibly disappeared.
The use of enforced disappearances is tragically not a new strategy in POB. For decades, the Pak Army has used systematic abductions, intimidation, and violent coercion as tools to stifle the Baloch people. Baloch activists and rights organizations have long condemned these tactics, as it is a form of collective punishment aimed at instilling fear in local communities. With the disappearance of civilians—often without charges or explanations—the military aims to maintain control over the region and suppress any dissent.