In February, Balochistan witnessed 40 cases of forced disappearances and 58 deaths. The victims were reported missing by the paramilitary forces of Pakistan, primarily during house raids and detentions in various parts of Balochistan, including Karachi and Islamabad. Killings were mainly reported in the districts of Qilah Saifullah and Pishin, through bomb blasts, targeted killings, and other forms of violence.
Moreover, the month witnessed a series of attacks by Baloch militant groups as well—targeting polling stations and electoral candidates during election periods. These attacks aimed to disrupt the electoral process and instill fear among candidates and voters alike.
Enforced Disappearances:
Throughout February, 40 individuals from various professions were reportedly abducted by Pakistani paramilitary forces, primarily the Frontier Corps (FC) and other agencies. These abductions occurred during house raids, detentions, and summonses at military camps in various areas of Balochistan.
On February 1, two Afghan laborers, Masood Bahawal and Haidar Kakar, were abducted at gunpoint while mining in District Duki by armed men.
On February 2, four individuals—Abdul Wahab Kurd and Mir Zaman—were forcibly disappeared from District Kacchi, while two students, Mohsin Hassan from Gwadar and Muhammad Alizai from Mastung, were disappeared during house raids. Mohsin and Muhammad were eventually released, but the fate of the other two remains unknown.
On February 3, three residents of the Mach area of district Kachhi, namely Mir Zaman Satakzai, Ahmed Nawaz, and Sanaullah Bangulzai, were taken away by the forces during a raid in District Kachhi. Mir Zaman was later released, but the others remain disappeared.
On February 4, four laborers from Awaran—Muheem Noordin, Nazeer Qadir Bakhsh, Arif Tilaho, and Nasir Bahot—were forcibly disappeared from Karachi Airport by secret Agencies after being illegally detained and deported from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Later, Nazeer and Arif Tilaho were released while the others remained missing.
On February 5, CTD (Counter Terrorism Department) raided a house in Mullai Bazar place of Kech and disappeared a student named Wajid Sawali. He was later released.
On February 6, forces abducted seven individuals, including Khadim Hussain and Faiz Muhammad from Sibi, Asadullah, Zahid (a policeman), Gul Khan Shikari (a barber), and his son Meeran from Kharan, while Salahudin Badini was abducted from Nushki. Gul Khan Shikari and Salahudin Badini were eventually released, while the others are still missing.
On February 7, during separate raids, forces abducted Salam Kambarani, Majeed and his son Ajeem from Awaran, Haroon Baloch (a sportsman) from Nushki, and Nasir Dinarzai from district Quetta.
On February 9, Shakar Khan, a laborer from Kech, was forcibly disappeared from Karachi Airport by the secret agencies.
On February 10, during a raid in the Sariab area of Quetta, forces detained Muhammad Ayub Kurd and Naveed Ahmad Kurd and disappeared them.
On February 11, forces forcibly whisked away two individuals, Sarwar and Sher Jan, during a raid in Khuzdar.
On February 16, Haibat Sumalani was forcibly abducted during a house raid in Quetta.
On February 20, Nasrullah and Mumtaz Nawaz, residents of Awaran, were forcibly disappeared by the forces from the Garadi area of Awaran.
On February 23, forces detained and disappeared two individuals, Ali Jan Musa and Waheed Rashid, residents of Dazan, Tump, Kech. Later on, they were released.
Killings:
A total of 58 killings, comprising 22 identified and 36 unidentified individuals, occurred through various forms of violence across different regions in Balochistan.
On February 2, forces brought five dead bodies to Quetta Hospital, claiming they were killed in the Mach operation. Identified as previously forcibly disappeared persons, the victims include Bashir Ahmed Marri and Arman Marri, abducted from Quetta, Sobidar from Harnai Bazaar, and Shakeel from Zehri. They were killed by the CTD in response to an attack by Baloch militants in Bolan.
Following that, four miners were forcibly abducted from the Duki Area on February 4. Subsequently, the bodies of two miners, identified as Bahauddin and Shafiqur Rehman, were discovered two days later, on February 6, and shifted to the hospital.
Later on, a tragic incident unfolded as two bomb explosions near candidates’ offices claimed the lives of at least 28 people and injured numerous others on the eve of general elections on February 7. The initial blast, attributed to the Islamic State (IS) group, resulted in 16 casualties in Pishin district, north of Quetta. Subsequently, a second explosion in Qila Saifullah to the east claimed the lives of 12 individuals.
Moreover, the increase in targeted killings has instilled fear among the people. During February, ten individuals, including a girl, were killed by unknown armed men in different districts.
