‘Failed, inhumane’: Baloch activist raises alarm over spike in student disappearances

The recent surge in alleged enforced disappearances of students and young people in Pakistan’s restive province of Balochistan has reignited a long-standing debate over human rights abuses by the state. For decades, Balochistan has been plagued by unrest, violence, and repression, with little effort from authorities to address its underlying causes.

At the center of this crisis is Sammi Deen Baloch, a human rights activist who has spoken out against government policies. In a statement posted on X, she highlighted the alarming spike in enforced disappearances over the past few days, targeting students at their homes, hostels, and educational institutions. Her words reflect the deep-seated resentment among the people of Balochistan.

The government’s response to these allegations has been predictable: denying any systematic abuse while claiming that security operations are conducted according to law. However, this defense is hollow given the long history of enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and collective punishment in Balochistan. The use of counter-insurgency operations as justification for these policies is dubious, considering their failure to bring peace to the province.

Decades of such policies have created a self-perpetuating cycle of violence, radicalizing young people who are supposed to be protected by the state. Those eventually released often turn to armed violence, prompting propaganda campaigns that blame peaceful activists and human rights defenders for inciting or recruiting them for armed groups. This deflects attention from the root causes of the conflict: illegal actions, state repression, and tyrannical policies.

The government’s refusal to acknowledge these issues is a failure of policy and a betrayal of trust placed in it by the people of Balochistan. Instead of making the issue of enforced disappearances contentious, authorities should review their failed policies and ask why decades of repression have failed to establish lasting peace.

This cycle of violence is not unique to Balochistan but reflects a broader pattern of state-sponsored abuse that has become endemic in Pakistan’s politics. The government’s failure to address these issues has created an environment where human rights abuses are tolerated, and dissent is crushed. It remains to be seen whether the current administration will take concrete steps to break this cycle or continue down a path of repression.

As the world watches, it is clear that Balochistan’s fate hangs in the balance. The future of its people depends on authorities’ willingness to confront harsh realities of their policies and work towards creating a more just and equitable society.