On March 6, 2025, Pakistani security forces abducted Sajjad Ishaq, a second semester law student at the International Islamic University in Islamabad.

This was reportedly the second time that Sajjad had been abducted; he had been disappeared for three days a few years earlier, while studying law at Quaid-i-Azam University.

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://thediplomat.com/2025/06/inside-pakistans-war-on-baloch-students/
https://thebalochistanpost.net/2025/03/baloch-student-studying-law-forcibly-disappeared-for-second-time-in-islamabad/
https://hrcbalochistan.com/balochistan-151-enforced-disappearances-80-killings-and-a-widespread-crackdown-on-peaceful-protests-in-march-2025/
https://thebalochistanpost.net/2025/03/balochistan-surge-in-enforced-disappearances-intensifies-concerns-of-human-rights-violations/