Pakistan security forces abduct four oil traders in Balochistan

Balochistan [Pakistan], December 7 : Pakistan security forces have reportedly abducted four oil traders in the Panjgur district of Balochistan.

The Balochistan Post has identified the missing individuals as Khalil Siddique, Abdul Shakoor Saleh, Arshad Rafique, and Waseem, son of Mohammad Hashim, who were taken from the Paroom tehsil. According to local sources, the four individuals are labourers and drivers in the oil trade, the Balochistan Post reported.

In the nearby Kech district, oil traders have recently faced profiling under the guise of issuing trade tokens.

Baloch people argue that these measures are being used to harass individuals, particularly those with relatives or close associates allegedly linked to Baloch nationalist groups, reported the Balochistan Post.

Families of the missing individuals and local activists are demanding their immediate release, condemning these actions as "inhumane."

Enforced disappearances in Balochistan continue to be a grave human rights issue. Baloch political parties and rights organisations accuse Pakistani intelligence agencies of involvement. While the government typically denies or downplays these claims, testimonies from victims' families and evidence from human rights groups paint a troubling picture.

Paank, the human rights wing of the Baloch National Movement, has also condemned the incident of enforced disappearances.

In a post on X, Paank stated, "Paank strongly condemns the enforced disappearances of Waseem Hashim, Khaleel Siddique, Arshid Rafiq, and Abdul Shakoor Saleh on the night of December 6, 2024, in Paroom tehsil of Panjgur district, Balochistan. These individuals were forcibly taken from their homes by Pakistani forces, marking another distressing instance of human rights violations in the region."

Paank strongly condemns the enforced disappearances of Waseem Hashim, Khaleel Siddique, Arshid Rafiq, and Abdul Shakoor Saleh on the night of December 6, 2024, in Parom Tehsil of Panjgur District, #Balochistan. According to reports, these individuals were forcibly taken from… pic.twitter.com/dCuvJ4G5fR— Paank (@paank_bnm) December 6, 2024

Paank further emphasised that enforced disappearances represent a serious breach of international human rights law, the Balochistan Post reported.

Victims are often detained in secret, without access to their families, legal counsel, or any form of legal procedure.

These actions violate the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Pakistan is a signatory, as well as the United Nations General Assembly's Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.

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