Baloch Women Forum organiser condemns enforced disappearance of MPhil student Khalil Baloch, demands immediate release

Baloch Women Forum organiser Shalee Baloch condemned the alleged enforced disappearance of MPhil student Khalil Baloch, missing since August 4. Highlighting widespread repression of Baloch youth, she urged authorities to immediately disclose his whereabouts, ensure his safe release, and end systemic impunity.

Baloch Women Forum organiser Shalee Baloch has condemned the alleged enforced disappearance of Khalil Baloch, an MPhil student at the University of Karachi, calling it another example of the repression faced by educated Baloch youth, particularly students. In a post on X, Shalee Baloch said Khalil, who hails from Awaran in Balochistan, was allegedly forcibly disappeared by security forces outside the university's administration block on August 4, 2026.

She said three months had passed since his disappearance, but his family remained without answers, facing continued anguish and uncertainty over his whereabouts. Describing the incident as a reflection of the vulnerability of Baloch students, Shalee Baloch alleged that enforced disappearances, intimidation and collective punishment were increasingly being used as instruments of control against the Baloch population.

She further said these practices echoed colonial-era tactics aimed at suppressing intellectual freedom, spreading fear and undermining the aspirations of the people. According to her post, targeting students pursuing education and a better future creates an atmosphere of fear for an entire generation.

Shalee Baloch called on the authorities to immediately disclose Khalil's whereabouts, ensure his safe and unconditional release, and hold those responsible accountable. She added that if any charges existed against him, he should be produced before a competent court and guaranteed due process of law.

Emphasising the need to protect Baloch students, she said they must not be punished for pursuing education and called for an end to enforced disappearances and what she described as a system of impunity. She concluded by demanding an immediate end to the alleged repression and the release of Khalil Baloch.

Pakistan continues to face serious allegations over enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, particularly in regions such as Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Human rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have repeatedly raised concerns about missing activists, students and political workers allegedly taken by security agencies without legal process. Families of missing persons often stage protests demanding information about their loved ones. Rights organisations claim many victims are later found dead, while authorities deny involvement. The issue has triggered international concern, with calls for transparent investigations, accountability and protection of human rights in the affected regions. (ANI)