A new report by Paank, the human rights wing of the Baloch National Movement (BNM), has revealed that at least 181 enforced disappearances and 12 extrajudicial killings occurred in Balochistan in March. The group states that Pakistani security forces and affiliated armed groups, known locally as “death squads,” were responsible for the widespread abductions, targeting students, activists, and civil society members. Many of these detentions took place without warrants or judicial oversight.

Of those forcibly disappeared, 87 individuals were later released, although many were reportedly subjected to severe physical abuse during their captivity. The highest number of disappearances was recorded in Quetta and Kalat, with 37 cases each. Other affected areas included Dera Bugti, Gwadar, Nushki, and several other towns across the region.

Several of the victims of extrajudicial killings had previously been reported as forcibly disappeared, including Nizam Baloch, whose body was found a day after his abduction. Other victims included Shah Nawaz Baloch, Shah Jahan Kurd, and the deaths of three people during a protest on March 21, demanding the release of missing persons.

Paank condemned the targeted killing of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) activist Ehsan Baloch and the discovery of mutilated bodies in Mashkay. The report also highlighted the continued detention of BYC leaders under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law and raised concerns over the secret burial of 13 unidentified bodies in Qasi Graveyard in Quetta, which may be victims of enforced disappearance. Paank described these ongoing actions as violations of international human rights law and called for international intervention from the United Nations and human rights organizations to hold Pakistani authorities accountable.