In a powerful and disturbing revelation at the Geneva Press Club, prominent Baloch activist Mahrang Baloch has accused the Pakistani state of systematically using enforced disappearances as a core counter-insurgency strategy. This tactic, she asserts, is now being deployed against the most vulnerable segments of society, including women and children, to crush dissent in the troubled province of Balochistan.
Women and Children Become Primary Targets
Mahrang Baloch, a leading voice from the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, presented a harrowing account of the worsening human rights situation. She stated that the state's campaign of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings has intensified, with a sinister shift in focus. "The state has now made women and children the primary target of enforced disappearances," Baloch declared during her address on Wednesday.
She explained that this brutal strategy is designed to inflict maximum psychological trauma on Baloch society. By abducting family members, particularly mothers, sisters, and daughters, the state aims to silence male activists and protesters who are often at the forefront of the movement. The activist shared that the families of victims are frequently threatened and harassed by intelligence agencies when they dare to protest or speak out.
A Strategy of Collective Punishment and Terror
Baloch framed these actions not as isolated incidents but as a deliberate policy of collective punishment. The goal, she argued, is to spread terror throughout the community and deter any form of resistance or demand for rights. "The state is using enforced disappearances as a core strategy in Balochistan," she emphasized, highlighting its use as a tool for political repression.
The activist provided context by tracing the history of the conflict, noting that the current wave of protests and activism was triggered by an extrajudicial killing in Turbat in October 2023. This incident sparked a massive long march from Turbat to Islamabad, demonstrating the deep-seated anger and frustration among the Baloch people.
International Appeal and Documented Evidence
During her Geneva address, Mahrang Baloch did not just level accusations; she presented what she described as irrefutable evidence. She showcased official documents, first-hand testimonies from victims' families, and video recordings that she claimed directly implicate state institutions, including the Frontier Corps and intelligence agencies, in these grave crimes.
Her appeal was directed at the international community, including the United Nations Human Rights Council and global powers. She urged them to move beyond mere statements of concern and take concrete diplomatic action against Pakistan. Specifically, she called for sanctions on officials involved in these abuses and for linking international aid and trade agreements to verifiable improvements in Pakistan's human rights record in Balochistan.
A Crisis Ignored and a Call for Justice
Baloch lamented the lack of meaningful investigation or justice within Pakistan. She stated that the state has consistently shielded the perpetrators, allowing them to operate with complete impunity. The domestic legal and judicial systems, she argued, have failed the victims entirely.
The activist concluded with a poignant call for global solidarity. She positioned the Baloch struggle as part of a wider fight against state-sponsored oppression and for the fundamental right to self-determination. The message from Geneva was clear: the world must not look away as Pakistan employs enforced disappearances as a weapon of war against its own people, with women and children bearing a devastating brunt of this strategy.
