Pakistan’s Balochistan has witnessed 308 percent rise in enforced disappearances since 2020 said Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) in a report. The ACHR has urged United States government to invoke the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act of 2016 against Pakistani officials and security personnel responsible for enforced disappearances.
In its report, ‘Pakistan’s Enforced Disappearances: A Crime Against Humanity Demanding Urgent Global Action’ released on Monday, ACHR documented a massive rise of over 308 percent in alleged enforced disappearances in Balochistan.
According to ACHR, the cases rose from 480 cases in 2020 to 1,482 cases in 2025. The report further documented 793 alleged cases between January and July 2026 alone, equivalent to more than 113 cases a month or approximately four disappearances every day.
‘Pakistan’s Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances (COIED), established in March 2011, had received 10,973 cases between March 2011 and July 2026, mainly from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab. In June 2026, the United Nations Committee against Torture stated that although the COIED had ‘disposed of’ more than 9,000 of the over 10,000 cases of alleged enforced disappearance registered between 2010 and August 2025, not a single official had been ordered to be prosecuted. Such impunity has emboldened the security forces,’ said Tejang Chakma, Research Director, Asian Centre for Human Rights.
“An analysis of the data of 793 alleged cases of enforced disappearances from January to July 2026 in Balochistan shows that the Frontier Corps were responsible for 358 cases of enforced disappearances, followed by Intelligence Agencies with 262 cases, the Counter Terrorism Department with 142 cases, state sponsored death squads with 27 cases and the Pakistani Rangers with four cases,” the report further stated.
According to ACHR, the Government of Pakistan has increasingly sought to change the narrative on enforced disappearances in the country. On 22 January 2026, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti declared that “The state should no longer be held responsible for cases of self-imposed disappearance,” referring to individuals allegedly choosing to associate voluntarily with “militant” or “separatist” organisations.
“The shrinking space for those documenting enforced disappearances has been further demonstrated by the prosecution of prominent human rights activists. On 22 June 2026, 33-year-old Dr Mahrang Baloch, one of the most recognisable voices demanding answers about enforced disappearances in Balochistan, was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Pakistani anti-terrorism court along with fellow activist Sibghatullah Shah,” the report added.
Nakshab Khan is a senior journalist with nearly two decades of experience in Indian media. Beginning his career in 2007, he has worked with leading news organisations, including Times Now, News18, TV9 Network, IANS, Zee Media, UNI TV. He is currently associated with NewsX Digital as a Deputy Editor.
Over the years, Nakshab has extensively covered politics, international affairs, crime, and public policy. He has special interest in global affairs, with a strong focus on West Asian affairs. He can be reached at nakshab.ali@gmail.com.
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