Silenced voices: Balochistan’s struggle against Enforced Disappearances

Introduction 

Stepping out of the house in Balochistan carries an unimaginable weight — a perpetual fear that one may not return or be able to see their family again. Innocent children may never see their father again, forcing them to survive with little to no means of sustenance. This cruel fate befell Nadeem Baloch’s Family, a poet who forcibly disappeared from Nasirabad, Balochistan in August 2024. His family still has no information about his whereabouts. 

Clutching a worn photograph of her father, Human rights activist, Sammi Baloch voices her pain, “My mother doesn’t know if she is still a wife or a widow? My siblings and I don’t know if our father is alive somewhere. We have been left completely in the dark for 15 years now.”

Every other household in Balochistan has been a victim of such disappearances. Hafeez Baloch, the founder of the Indigenous Land Alliance, was an ardent land rights activist in the province of Balochistan. The activist was last seen at a protest in Gwadar, following which he was never seen again. His family is still looking for him.  

Raising your voice against the grave injustices in Balochistan can thrust you into the unknown — abducted, tortured, or possibly even killed. The pain, agony, and constant worry, coupled with a flicker of false hope that they might see their loved one again is a torment that cannot be described in words. 

Balochistan Separatist Movement

Balochistan is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and has been at the heart of a long-standing separatist movement for over seven decades. The Balochs are a distinct ethno-linguistic group spread across Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, with about 70% residing in Pakistan. Despite their rich culture and history, they have been victims of systematic marginalization and human rights abuses for far too long. Yet, their plight often fades into the background of the countless “more” important regional crises that dominate the global headlines — the Kashmir conflict to the Afghan war, nuclear security concerns, and Pakistan’s internal battle against religious extremism. In the cacophony of these crises, the cries of the Balochs remain largely unheard. 

The roots of the Baloch insurgency lie in the historical imposition of a singular religious identity on an ethnically diverse population. In an attempt to forge a sense of national unity on the basis of a shared faith, the state overlooked the fact that these people have fundamentally different cultures, traditions and experiences from the Urdu-speaking communities and Punjabis that dominate the political and economic power in the region. This cultural sidelining has left them feeling alienated in a system that does not reflect their experiences and traditions.A Baloch leader while speaking to Al Jazeera voiced the sentiment of many, “Our main goal is to gain independence for Balochistan. We want to bring an end to the Punjabi rule over our land and provide the Baloch people with security, justice and equality. Who are the Pakistanis? Sindhis, Punjabis, Balochs, Pashtuns together, they say, are Pakistanis.”

They rightly question why they are forced to be pakistanis. Their land and its riches have been unfairly encroached upon. They justify challenging and weakening the authorities on these grounds. Baloch people have faced neglect and alienation on multiple fronts — politically, socially and economically which has shaped such an outlook.

Political Front

The first insurgency dates back to 1948, when the Khan of Kalat was forced into signing an instrument of succession by the Pakistani government which many nationalists viewed as an unjust annexation. Since then, the demands of greater autonomy have only grown. The issue was exacerbated in 1955 by the “One Unit” scheme which sought to merge the 4 provinces into a single entity of West Pakistan parallel to East Pakistan, with the aim of having a unified Pakistani identity (later retracted). This move had the potential of eroding regional identities, especially for the Balochs who saw their culture and autonomy being dissolved. 

The military coup in 1999 also worsened their feeling of alienation as the army lacked representation from the area. Today as well, most of the federal government and its institutions are dominated by the Punjabis. Even within Balochistan, provincial jobs and resources are often controlled by outsiders which adds to their feeling of exclusion and disenfranchisement. 

Economic Front

Balochistan covers the largest area in Pakistan covering about 44% of the total area. At the same time, it is also the least populated as it resides only 6% of the population. The region is rich in resources, housing vast copper, gold, coal, and natural gas mines. Yet, it remains one of the most underdeveloped areas in Pakistan. According to the 2018-19 UNDP report, Balochistan accounted for 4.5% of Pakistan's GDP but the exploitation of these resources have not translated into meaningful economic benefits for its local population. The performance on the developmental indicators like health, education etc. also remains very poor. 

A significant source of recent conflict is the Gwadar mega-project funded by China. A large portion of the land for this project was sold illegally at the expense of local Balochs. To make matters worse, the construction project relies mostly on Chinese laborers and engineers, completely excluding the locals from the meager economic returns that the project could have brought.

Social FrontThe US-led Afghan war added to their plight with the influx of Pashtun refugees into Balochistan and further encroachment of their resources and space. Another major source of conflict is the use of overwhelming  military force to handle any issue rather than pursuing political solutions or dialogues. A report by the Pakistan Security Research Unit notes, “Islamabad’s militarized approach has led to…violence, widespread human rights abuses, mass internal displacement and the deaths of hundreds of civilians and armed personnel.” This strategy only leads to a continuous cycle of conflict with no signs of resolution.  

Enforced Disappearances 

As evident from the name itself, the act involves the secret and intentional disappearance of someone against their will. A repressive state uses the methods of abduction, arrest or detention of a person and does not acknowledge the whereabouts or the fate of the person. They “get rid” of people they think are sources of nuisance and unrest without a charge or a warrant because they don't have the ability or evidence to prove them guilty of a crime in the courts of law. Since these victims are outside the protection of law, they run the risk of being tortured or even executed, with their close ones left in the void of uncertainty, hope and disillusionment.

Families in Balochistan are regularly subjected to this psychological torture. According to the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP), a non-profit organization representing family members of those who disappeared in Balochistan, the total number of reported cases is more than 7,000 cases of disappearances between 2002 and 2024. Every such case only widens the gap or any chance of talks and peace between the state and the Baloch. 

Nobody is ready to help out these distressed victims. Multiple writs of habeas corpus have been filed in the courts not only by families but also by human rights organizations. Habeas Corpus is a legal mechanism used to safeguard people from unlawful detention or imprisonment. It requires the person holding the detainee to present them before a court to justify the legality of their detention. In Pakistan, the writ of Habeas Corpus is protected under Article 199 of the Constitution. But this has been severely ineffective. In 2019, in a high profile case, a writ petition was filed in the disappearance of Dr. Deen Mohammed in the Balochistan High Court as well as the Supreme court. The apex court promised his release within 10 days to his family. It has been over 10 years since then. The judiciary has failed to hold the state accountable for enforced disappearances.

Conclusion

Enforced disappearances are among the most egregious violations of human rights and when carried out systematically against citizens of the state, they become nothing short of crimes against humanity. The International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (2010) compels States to fight enforced disappearance on their respective territories. It becomes particularly alarming when the very state that is meant to protect is the one orchestrating these disappearances. 

This approach of Islamabad only further alienates the Balochs who already face the brunt of multi-dimensional neglect and alienation. How are they to achieve their national rights in a system that is unwilling to even grant their basic fundamental human rights? If the government genuinely ever wishes to end the cycle of conflict and violence, it must revisit its policy in dealing with the issue of Balochistan — by ending serious rights violations, taking measures to build an environment of trust, and being proactive in addressing the issues that concern the Balochs.