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Quetta, September 29 (IANS): A leading Baloch human rights organisation on Monday documented widespread human rights violations across Balochistan, including 123 enforced disappearances and 26 killings, carried out by Pakistan-backed death squads and security forces in the month of August.
In its report, the Human Rights Council of Balochistan (HRCB) detailed that in August 2025, 123 cases of enforced disappearance were recorded. Of these, 106 individuals remain missing, 12 were released, and five were extrajudicially killed while in custody.
"Quetta recorded the highest number of abductions with 27 cases, followed closely by Kech with 25 and Dera Bugti with 15. Gwadar reported nine cases, Awaran eight, and Karachi seven. Nushki and Panjgur each had five cases, while Dalbandin, Khuzdar, and Washuk reported three each. Chagai, Hub, Lasbela, and Kharan recorded two cases each. Single cases were reported from Punjab, Barkhan, Mastung, Kalat, and Harnai,” the report detailed, highlighting enforced disappearances across Pakistan.
"81 cases were reported during house raids, while 36 people were taken from streets, shops, and offices under the pretext of detention. Three were taken away from checkpoints, and another three were summoned to military camps and then disappeared," the report added.
The HRCB stated that Pakistan's Frontier Corps (FC) was involved in 60 cases of abduction, intelligence agencies were linked to 33, and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) carried out 28 abductions, while two cases were attributed to death squads.
As per the findings, during the same period in August, 26 people, including 24 men and two women, were killed, the majority of them at the hands of Pakistan-backed death squads and security forces. The report noted that the month also saw widespread internet and mobile shutdowns, along with the imposition of Section 144 across the province.
"Most incidents were the result of targetted attacks, with nine cases reported. Five bodies were recovered, and four individuals were killed while in custody. Another four cases were linked to honour-related killings. In addition, two deaths occurred during encounters, while one person was killed in mortar shelling and one in indiscriminate firing," the report stressed.
According to the HRCB, among the districts of Balochistan, Kech recorded the highest number of killings, with 10 cases, followed by Panjgur and Washuk, each with four cases. Additionally, Kachhi, Khuzdar, and Naseerabad reported two cases each, while Awaran and Kharan had one case each.
