The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan expressed alarm at the reports of the ‘disappearance’ of a Baloch student and his uncle from Khuzdar.

In a post on X, the HRCP said that Shams Baloch was a student of Sargodha university and was ‘forcibly disappeared’ on August 13.

The post added that Shams’ uncle, Fazal Yaqoob Baloch, also met the same fate two days later when unidentified men broke into his house. HRCP said Faza’s family was also threatened.

“We are seriously concerned for their safety and demand that both men be released immediately,” HRCP said.

“Their families must also be protected against intimidation from any quarter.”

The missing persons of Balochistan are a long-standing issue. The families of people who have disappeared, often for years, continuously protest and move from forum to forum to find their loved ones. A special commission was set up in 2011 to find and track the persons and bring them home.