Balochistan’s agony deepens as another youth goes missing under Pakistani custody

Islamabad, October 12, 2025 — In yet another chilling reminder of Pakistan’s continued repression in Balochistan, a young man named Ashfaq Mushtaq has reportedly been abducted by Pakistani forces, the latest victim in a long series of enforced disappearances haunting the region, reports 24brussels.

Ashfaq’s family has not been informed of his whereabouts, heightening fears that he may meet a grim fate similar to other Baloch men who vanished under analogous circumstances. Naseem Baloch, commenting on X, indicated that security personnel, alongside local collaborators, raided Mushtaq’s residence earlier this month, abducting him without explanation or legal procedure.

This tragedy adds to the suffering of the Mushtaq family, already devastated by previous losses. In May 2025, Pakistani forces allegedly stormed the home of Lala Lateef, Ashfaq’s uncle, and shot him dead. Merely two months prior, Ashfaq’s cousin, Saif Lateef, was abducted along with eight other relatives in Mashkai, Balochistan. Their bodies were later discovered, leading rights groups to decry Pakistan’s ongoing campaign of brutality in the region.

The enforced disappearances exemplify a systematic pattern of violence in which Baloch identity itself is treated as a punishable offense. Over the years, thousands have disappeared, leaving their families in anguish and uncertainty. Pakistan’s military establishment has transformed Balochistan into a zone of fear, where dissent or activism can lead to dire consequences.

As global attention remains limited, families like that of Ashfaq Mushtaq continue to endure profound suffering. His disappearance serves as yet another painful reminder of the relentless cycle of oppression that characterizes life for the Baloch people, a reality that the international community can no longer afford to overlook.