On April 28, 2026, Pakistani security forces abducted Babul Malik Baloch, the Senior Vice Chairman of the Baloch Students Organization (BSO), from a college hostel in Quetta.

Baloch advocates reported that Baloch, a public advocate for students’ educational and democratic rights, was taken from the Polytechnic College hostel late at night and taken to an undisclosed location.

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 university 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://organiser.org/2026/04/30/351271/world/pakistan-atrocities-spike-in-balochistan-student-leader-forcibly-disappeared-two-women-missing-and-a-man-shot-dead/
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/world/bsac-raises-alarm-over-bso-leaders-disappearance-says-balochistan-students-face-growing-fear/
https://english.zrumbesh.com/12830