On October 16, 2024, nine Baloch university students were forcibly disappeared.

Eight of the students disappeared from their shared residence in Karachi. These included three Karachi University students, a Federal Urdu University student, a Faculty of Science student, two madrassa students, and one student at an unidentified institution. Separately, a ninth student studying history at Karachi University was also abducted.

Family members of the disappeared students accused Pakistani law enforcement of taking them to an unknown location. Wazir Ahmed, the older brother of missing Faculty of Science Student Qambar Ali, submitted a petition for information to the Sindh High Court (SHC). On October 23, the SHC directed police to share information about the arrests and the location of the missing students by November 4.

On October 25, six of the students were released.

The abductions appear to be part of a pattern of abductions of Baloch activists. According to the Baloch Students Council, Baloch students have been specifically targeted. On October 10, members of Pakistan’s armed forces abducted three Baloch students from their hostels (see report).

Scholars at Risk is concerned about the enforced disappearance of students. While state security forces have a responsibility to maintain security and safety, they must also respect international human rights standards, including by refraining from discriminatory actions against students based on their identities. In addition to harm to the immediate victims, the disappearance of students undermines academic freedom and democratic society generally.

Sources:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1866780
https://www.dawn.com/news/1867019
https://thebalochistanpost.net/2024/10/eight-baloch-students-forcibly-disappeared-in-karachi/
https://thebalochistanpost.net/2024/10/six-missing-baloch-students-recovered-in-karachi-two-still-missing/
https://x.com/mahrangbaloch_/status/1846856536809001460?s=46&t=dOAjqFnMvAVUog9fBqfKlA