Balochistan families forced to disown kin as rights body slams crackdown

The Human Rights Council of Balochistan denounced a government order requiring families to formally reject relatives facing militant accusations. Authorities threatened criminal charges, asset seizure, and benefit removal for non-compliance. The organization labeled this directive collective punishment that violates international humanitarian standards.

Officials particularly criticized how the policy targets families of disappeared persons. The council described forcing relatives to report to Pakistani Army and Frontier Corps units as psychological torture and deliberate humiliation. These same military forces face credible accusations of conducting disappearances throughout the province.

The rights group called for global condemnation of what it termed an unlawful measure. Advocates emphasized that Pakistan violates treaties such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Convention Against Torture. The organization demanded accountability for enforced disappearances rather than family persecution.

Baloch people continue seeking independence from Pakistan while facing systematic oppression. Human rights groups document military raids, arbitrary detention, extrajudicial killings, and fabricated legal cases against civilians and leaders.