JAMMU: Human rights experts of the United Nations (UN) have expressed grave concern over the alleged continued enforced disappearances, torture and extrajudicial killings in Balochistan region of Pakistan by security forces. They specifically mentioned the killing of a Baloch student, calling on Pakistan to conduct a prompt, independent and impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding his detention and death.
In a statement, UN experts said Imran Ali was allegedly detained by personnel of Pakistan’s Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on August 27 last year and taken to an undisclosed location. According to the statement, his family received no official information regarding his whereabouts for nearly a year, although individuals who were reportedly detained alongside him later confirmed that he had been held in custody.
The statement was issued by members of the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, including Gabriella Citroni, Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group; Grażyna Baranowska, Vice-Chair; and members Aua Baldé, Ana Lorena Delgadillo Pérez, and Mohammed Al-Obaidi. The statement was also endorsed by Morris Tidball-Binz, UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; Nicolas Levrat, Special Rapporteur on minority issues; and Ben Saul, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, according to a report of The Balochistan Post.
Imran Ali’s enforced disappearance, torture & death
The experts said Ali was allegedly subjected to torture while in detention. Referring to international law, the experts stated that any deprivation of liberty followed by a refusal by authorities to acknowledge the detention or disclose a person’s fate or whereabouts constitutes an enforced disappearance and places the individual outside the protection of the law.
According to the UN statement, the family learned of Ali’s death during a hearing before Pakistan’s Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances on August 6 this year, almost a year later. This happened as a police officer reportedly informed the commission that Imran Ali was killed in an encounter in May 2026.
The experts noted that authorities reportedly took approximately one month to identify the body and later buried it in June 2026, citing an inability to preserve the remains. Following the disclosure, deceased Ali’s family visited the Civil Hospital in Quetta, where they reportedly identified his body through photographs held on record.
Six more unidentified bodies brought to Quetta hospital
The UN experts further stated that Ali’s body had allegedly been brought to the hospital alongside six other bodies, none of which were documented or reported by hospital staff or police. According to the statement, the bodies were buried without proper identification or notification of their families.
The experts said these circumstances raised concerns that the other bodies could also belong to victims of enforced disappearance. Calling for accountability, the UN experts urged Pakistani authorities to carry out a thorough investigation, including independent forensic examinations, proper identification of the body and its dignified return to the family. They said the investigation should establish the cause, manner and circumstances of Ali’s death and identify those responsible.
The experts also expressed concern that the case may reflect a broader pattern of alleged unlawful detention, torture, enforced disappearance and extrajudicial killings involving Baloch individuals. They noted that such allegations have emerged alongside reports of intensified military and security operations in Balochistan and claims of collective punishment.
The UN experts said they remain in contact with the Government of Pakistan regarding the concerns raised in the case and the broader human rights situation in Balochistan.
The United Nations experts have previously raised concerns regarding the human rights situation in Balochistan, including statements issued in March and April 2025 and July 2026.
