On February 24, 2025, Pakistani security forces abducted Yasir Baloch, a Media Sciences student at Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University.

The abduction took place in the evening, after Yasir left the university to return home.

The abduction follows a pattern of enforced disappearances of Baloch activists, professionals, journalists, and students, often carried out by Pakistan’s intelligence agencies, army, or Frontier Corps. Students are among the most commonly targeted of these groups.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about the enforced disappearance of a student. 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://x.com/nidakirmani/status/1894830262518968333?s=46&t=dOAjqFnMvAVUog9fBqfKlA
https://x.com/balochyakjehtic/status/1894799304394449369?s=46&t=dOAjqFnMvAVUog9fBqfKlA
https://x.com/asadatoor/status/1894817628822327461?s=46&t=dOAjqFnMvAVUog9fBqfKlA
https://thewire.in/south-asia/as-abductions-of-baloch-and-sindhis-continue-a-protest-to-seek-a-fundamental-right
https://www.newsintervention.com/baloch-abductions-by-pak-army-persists-another-student-missing-from-karachi/