2022 was full of misery, fear for people in Balochistan: HRC Group

The year 2022 was full of misery and fear for the people of Balochistan as Pakistan’s government and military continued to violate human rights in a variety of ways. A drastic increase in enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings was recorded throughout the year, according to the Balochistan Human Rights Council. Human Rights Council of Balochistan is a non-profit group based in Balochistan, Sweden and France. The group works to shed light on the human rights situation in Balochistan.According to the human rights group, the situation of families of enforced disappearances continued to deteriorate as the dead bodies of their loved ones continued to turn up in deserted areas despite continuous protests and demonstrations and assurances from the government.
The brutal attack on religious minorities continues while the state remains a silent spectator without taking steps to curb terrorism. The vicious crackdown on dissenting voices in Gwadar, Kech, Karachi, Islamabad and Quetta and framing them in false cases made Balochistan a much darker and more unstable place, according to the HRCB.Throughout 2022, police brutality continued in the province. Illegal house raids, framing of victims of enforced disappearance in fake cases, killing of victims of enforced disappearance in fake encounters, threats, harassment and use of excessive force in peaceful protests. Abdul Hafeez, a businessman in Pakistan was illegally detained and deported by the United Arab Emirates. He was accused in a false case in Sindh and later the anti-terrorism court acquitted him of all trumped-up charges. Other activists were also detained for questioning by UAE officials and later released.
The army and border corps continued to forcibly disappear and extrajudicially kill civilians during operations with absolute impunity. In some cases, forces conscripted people into camps and later tortured them to death. Under the collective punishment policy, arrests of women, children and the elderly were also recorded in 2022, according to the HRCB. The Baloch students continued to face threats, harassment, racial profiling and enforced disappearances in other provinces as well as Balochistan, especially in educational institutions. The government not only failed to ensure their protection but also appealed the Islamabad High Court’s decision to investigate the racial profiling of Baloch students.
The families of the victims of enforced disappearances continued their protest demonstrations for the safe release of their loved ones in various cities throughout the year despite the police using excessive force and booking them on fabricated charges. Despite assurances from the home minister and the law minister, bullets containing bodies of victims of enforced disappearance continued to surface in the deserted areas, according to the HRCB