QUETTA: Three men were reportedly taken into custody and subsequently went missing in separate incidents in Quetta and Hub on May 2, according to local sources and family members. In Hub, a 27-year-old man identified as Iltaf Hussain Baloch, son of Elahi Bakhsh, was reportedly detained at around 2 AM from the Hub Chowki area. Sources alleged that personnel linked to Pakistani security and intelligence agencies were involved in the arrest. Iltaf Hussain is said to be originally from the Geshkor area of Awaran district but had been residing in Hub.
In a separate incident in Quetta, two men, 40-year-old Jan Khan, son of Sher Khan, and 20-year-old Abdul Sattar, son of Jan Khan, were reportedly taken from their home in the Marri Camp area of Hazarganji at approximately 4 PM the same day. Family members alleged that the two were detained by personnel associated with the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), after which their whereabouts became unknown, according to The Balochistan Post.
According to relatives, both men were taken at the same time, and no information regarding their location or condition has been made available since. There has been no official confirmation from authorities regarding the detentions or the current status of the individuals.
Human rights groups have repeatedly expressed concern over allegations of enforced disappearances in Balochistan. Pakistani authorities have previously denied any policy of unlawful detentions, stating that operations are carried out in line with legal procedures. The issue of forcible disappearances in Balochistan was flagged by Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) in its annual report as the most dangerous threat to lives of innocent Baloch citizens.
The latest reports add to ongoing concerns about transparency and accountability in the region. In the first four months of the current year 2026 and the beginning of May, enforced disappearances have continued with a sickening regularity.
Meanwhile, bodies of two men previously reported missing have been recovered in Gwadar district, as fresh cases of enforced disappearance and releases continue to emerge from different parts of Balochistan, according to local sources and rights groups. One person had gone missing in August last year and the other in September, locals said.
The bodies were found in the Nalent area of Pasni tehsil in Gwadar. Local officials said both victims had sustained gunshot wounds. They were later identified as Ajmal, son of Yaseen, a resident of Turbat, and Syed Shaho.
According to local sources, Ajmal had allegedly been forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces in August last year from Gwadar, while Syed Shaho, a resident of the Jiwani Panwan area, had reportedly been subjected to enforced disappearance on multiple occasions. His most recent disappearance was said to have occurred in September last year.
Separately, another case of alleged enforced disappearance was reported from Kharan district. Shah Ji Fazal, son of Haji Sawalih Muhammad, a resident of Sarawan, was reportedly taken into custody from his home on April 30 by personnel of the Frontier Corps and has since remained missing, according to family members.
Meanwhile, three individuals previously reported missing have resurfaced in separate areas. Kamran Baloch, a resident of Noshki who had allegedly been missing since February 11, reappeared on April 29. Qadeer Majeed, from the Greshag Naal area of Khuzdar, was detained on April 30 and later released on May 2. In another case, Asadullah, a resident of Katgari in Panjgur, was reportedly taken into custody on April 24 and presented the following day.
Human rights organisations have repeatedly raised concerns over reports of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Balochistan. Pakistani authorities have previously denied the existence of any systematic policy of enforced disappearances.
The latest developments highlight the persistence of disputed claims surrounding detentions and military operations in the region, where accountability and transparency remain contested issues.
