With 31 torture victims, 58 enforced disappearances, and 7 extra judicial killings, Balochistan is facing a worsening humanitarian crisis and significant human rights violations, with the Pakistani army committing torture to deprive people of their political and human rights.
According to the report, Major Asif Ghafoor’s appointment as Corps Commander has led to a ban on peaceful political activities, and paralyzed civilian institutions.
The non-partisan public movement Haq-Du-Tehreek Balochistan is seeking peaceful ways to secure the rights of the Balochistan people. However, the Pakistani army has cracked down on the movement by arresting activists, banning political activities, and instituting false charges against protesters, creating an undeclared martial law situation in Balochistan that silences any voice raised for human rights.
Enforced disappearances are routine in Balochistan, with thousands arrested extra-constitutionally and subjected to mental and physical torture. The Pakistani army neither explains the charges against them nor produces them in court. The lack of action by human rights and UN officials fuels ongoing human rights abuses.
The Pakistani army also detains and tortures people without providing necessary medical aid, and some victims have died from sustained injuries.
The Counter-Terrorism Department of the Police provides legal protection for the Pakistani army’s illegal activities in Balochistan, where enforced disappearances are carried out with fake cases. Many people, including minors, have been imprisoned on false charges and kept far from their homes.
Families of the victims are intimidated from submitting evidence, testimony, or other relevant information to court proceedings. The Pakistani judiciary has acted with bias in connection with severe human rights cases in Balochistan, serving as a facilitator of human rights violations in Balochistan for Pakistani forces.
