• Urges demilitarising civilian law enforcement and restoring provincial control of natural resources
• Criticises 90-day detentions without judicial oversight
• Says current security narrative normalises ‘enforced disappearances’

ISLAMABAD: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Wednesday expressed grave concern over the human rights crisis in Balochistan, as its fact-finding mission uncovered a disturbing pattern of continued enforced disappearances, shrinking civic space, erosion of provincial autonomy, and unchecked impunity.

“These conditions continued to fuel public alienation and political instability,” the commission said at a press briefing, following a fact-finding mission to the province.

The HRCP said the mission observed that while state representatives now acknowledged the existence of enforced disappearances, they did so within a security narrative that treated the practice as a byproduct of insurgency.

“This framing risked normalising what international human rights law considers a crime against humanity,” HRCP said, also calling for independent investigations into alleged reprisals against those who spoke up against the practice.

The mission noted that a new provincial anti-terrorism law was deeply problematic.

While it stated that militant attacks targeting citizens, including non-Baloch settlers, were indefensible and must be prosecuted, the commission condemned the Anti-Terrorism (Balochistan Amendment) Act 2025.

The law permits 90-day detentions without meaningful judicial oversight, raising concerns about the potential for torture and abuse.

The mission urged the government to withdraw the act and ensure that all counterterrorism efforts complied with Pakistan’s human rights obligations.

According to the report, electoral mani­pu­lation and the political side lining of nationalist parties had severely undermined public trust in democratic processes.

The commission recommended that the state ensure transparency, fairness and accountability in all electoral processes by investigating credible allegations of rigging and depoliticising administrative structures.

Speakers at the briefing said the mission called for the demilitarisation of civilian law enforcement.

They advocated for a unified civilian police force with adequate resources and training in community-based, rights-compliant policing to replace the current over-reliance on paramilitary and military forces.

The report also underscored the depoliticisation of civil society movements such as the Baloch Yakjehti Committee.

Equating human rights advocacy with militancy “only deepened alienation, especially among the youth”, the HRCP observed, adding that the state must publicly affirm the role of human rights def­enders and guarantee their protection.

The mission urged the government to reinstate constitutional protections under the 18th Amendment and respect provincial autonomy in natural resource management.

It said controversial projects such as Saindak and recent amendments to the Balochistan Mines and Mineral Act must be revisited to ensure local consultation and equitable benefit-sharing.

Unless the state urgently initiates a transparent, inclusive and rights-based political solution, “political and security conditions in Balochistan will continue to deteriorate,” the HRCP warned.

The commission also noted that the risk of ethnic reprisals beyond the province was real and growing, threatening natio­nal cohesion, and called for principled leadership rather than further securitisation.

Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2025