Eight Baloch Students Mysteriously Disappear in Karachi

In Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city, eight students from Balochistan have reportedly vanished from their shared home in Gulistan-i-Jauhar. Family members claim that law enforcement agencies are responsible for taking the students, but the police have not commented on these allegations.

The missing students, identified as Shoaib Ali, Haneef, Ishfaq, Shahzad, Bebarg Ameer, Zubair, Qambar Ali, and Saeedullah, disappeared on October 16. Among them, three are students at Karachi University, three attend a seminary, one is an intermediate student, and another studies at Urdu University.

Wazir Ahmed, the elder brother of Qambar Ali, one of the missing students, stated that Qambar was taking coaching classes at a tuition academy near Nipa. The families approached the police on October 17, but the Station House Officer (SHO) refused to file their report. Ahmed emphasized that the students have no political ties or involvement in suspicious activities and demanded their immediate release.

Riaz Ahmed, a member of the Karachi University syndicate, condemned the disappearances, expressing concern over students being taken without charges. He stated, “It is horrifying that students are apprehended and made to disappear without charges. Young students should not be subjected to the harsh realities of state actions.”

The issue of enforced disappearances is a significant human rights concern in Balochistan, where individuals, often activists, political leaders, and students, go missing under mysterious circumstances. These disappearances, frequently attributed to state security forces or non-state actors, create a climate of fear and insecurity, impacting the social fabric of communities. Families of the disappeared face immense challenges, including emotional distress and a lack of access to justice. The government has been criticized for its insufficient response to these cases, leaving many families without answers about the fate of their loved ones.