HYDERABAD: Spea­kers at a programme organised by the local chapter of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Saturday have noted with concern that cases of ‘enforced disappearance’ are also being reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, after Sindh and Balochistan.

The programme was held to mark the ‘International Day of Victims of Enforced Disappearances’.

The speakers regretted that such cases had increased in the country.

They were of concerted view that until recently, such incidents were restricted to Sindh and Balochistan but now they were being reported

from Khyber Pakhtun­khwa as well.

HRCP regional coordinator Ghufrana Arain told the audience that this trend in the country had started during dictatorial regimes and was continuing to date. This must stop now, she added.

HRCP’s adviser Imdad Chandio said that the international day on the issue was being observed today to highlight the issue at world level as it was also recognised by UN.

He said that student leader Nazeer Abbasi was a victim of enforced disappearance in Sindh. Abbasi was first picked up and then tortured to death during a martial law regime, he recalled.

“Law enforcement agencies, particularly police, are mostly seen involved in such cases,” he said.

Chandio pointed out that on May 20, around 80 people were picked up in Moro following anti-canals protest there. Such cases were now rising constantly, he said.

He regretted that this trend was seen in dictatorial regimes in the past but such incidents had become the order of the day under civilian rule.

Imdad Chandio deplored that a recent legislation has legitimised detention of any person for six months by law enforcement agencies. He said that around 50 persons still remained missing in Sindh, and added that international rights bodies should look into it.

Former MPA Sindh Assembly Farheen Mughal said that now the ‘software update’ term had become very common. She said she was imprisoned during a period when people were picked up and then their ‘software was updated’.

Advocate Danyal also agreed that enforced disappearance cases had now become common in the country.

Pushpa Kumari said that every citizen had equal rights in the Constitution but perhaps this doesn’t apply to missing persons.

HRCP council member Saleem Jarwar said even today police were deployed outside local press club to prevent HRCP from holding this event. He said that the commission believed in freedom of expression and it had always struggled for it.

A contingent of police remained deployed outside local press club following reports that the heirs of missing persons would attend this programme. Some of them had reached the local HRCP office but they did not attend the programme.

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2025