Islamabad [Pakistan] : The year 2022 was a dreadful year for Balochistan as Pakistan army,
forcibly lifted and disappeared 629, extrajudicially killed 195 and tortured 187 people, according
to the annual report released by Paank, the human rights organization of the Baloch National
Movement.
The report highlights the human rights situation throughout the year with infographics.
According to this, in January 2022, there were 92 forced disappearances, 15 murders and one
person was tortured by the Pakistan army. 95 enforced disappearances, 42 murders and 5
tortures cases were reported in February. In March, 62 people went into forced disappearance,
19 were killed and 6 people were tortured.50 enforced disappearances, 39 murders and 18
tortures were reported in April, added the report.
According to Paank, 187 forcibly disappeared people were released from the torture cells of the
Pakistani army last year.
61 enforced disappearances, 5 murders and 22 tortures were reported in May. In June, 26
people forcibly disappeared, and 11 people were murdered. In July, 46 people forcibly
disappeared, 16 were killed, and 28 were tortured.
55 forced disappearances, 5 murders and 37 tortures were reported in August. In September, 30
forced disappearances, 02 murders and 19 people were tortured.
In October, 38 people forcibly disappeared, 15 were killed, and 18 were tortured. In November,
36 people forcibly disappeared, 23 were killed, and 14 were tortured.38 enforced
disappearances,2 murders and 19 people were tortured in December 2022, said the annual
report of Paank.
The report said that the year 2022 was full of human tragedy in Balochistan with mass
punishment, forced disappearances, murders, massacres and violence.
Counter-Terrorism Department and Frontier Corps under the Pakistan army subjected hundreds
of Balochs including women and children to enforced disappearance, collective punishment,
killing in fake encounters and torture in various areas in Balochistan and Sindh, added the
report.
The report states that a complete ban has been imposed on Baloch nationalist parties in
Balochistan, and only the Pakistan army and pro-military groups have political freedom.
Due to bans on nationalist parties, a vacuum has been created in Balochistan, which the
Pakistani army tries to fill with its supporters.
According to Paank, the families of the victims of forced disappearance by the army are
suffering from political isolation to compete with the military force in Balochistan.
Baloch families have been protesting for the recovery of their loved ones for many years. There
have been several negotiations between the government and the families, but the powerless
government of Pakistan has failed to fulfill its promises and enforce the law.
Even the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif said, ‘I will talk to the powerful circles about
the enforced disappearances.
This makes it clear that the so-called democratic governments of Pakistan do not have the
power, but the centre of power is the Pakistani army, the report stated.
Because of this, the negotiations between the government and the families became fruitless and
the humanitarian crisis in Balochistan deepened.
Meanwhile, the Balochistan government is planning to set up a new commission to trace
missing persons, reported New Pakistan, adding that the Commission, if formed, would be the
third government body in Pakistan to be given the task.
The Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances, formed by the Supreme Court, and the
commission set up by the Islamabad High Court, are already looking into the matter, according
to the report.
The government instead of forming various commissions and committees should enforce steps
to hold accountable the state element responsible for the enforced disappearances, according
to a Dawn report quoted by New Pakistan.
According to New Pakistan, the Pakistani state has the tendency to act like an ostrich, instead of
dealing with reality, it prefers to hide its head in the sand by simply setting up another
commission. The people of Pakistan, including those who forcibly disappeared, deserve more
than simply another commission, it said.
Pakistan's Missing Persons Commission recently presented a report to the Pakistan Supreme
Court regarding the number of prisoners in detention centres. In the report, the Commission
said that 974 people declared ‘missing' were in detention centres while 616 remained in prisons,
The Express Tribune reported.
