UNITED NATIONS, Sept 8: UN human rights experts have expressed grave concern over the alleged enforced disappearance and extrajudicial killing of a Baloch resident, Imran Ali, and called on Pakistan to conduct a prompt, thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding his detention and death.
According to the experts, Ali was allegedly abducted from his apartment in Balochistan on August 27 last year by around 20 agents of the Counter-Terrorism Department. He was reportedly taken to an undisclosed location, and his family received no official information about his fate or whereabouts for nearly a year.
People who had been detained with Ali reportedly confirmed after their release that he had been held in custody. He was also allegedly tortured for several days during his detention, according to a statement issued by the UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner.
The UN experts stressed that when authorities deny a person’s detention or conceal their fate or whereabouts following deprivation of liberty, it amounts to enforced disappearance under international law and places the victim outside the protection of the law.
Last month, during a hearing before Pakistan’s Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances, a police officer reportedly told the panel that Ali had been killed in an alleged encounter in May 2026.
Authorities took about a month to identify his remains and later said they could not preserve the body, resulting in its burial in June.
After learning of the disclosure, Ali’s family went to Civil Hospital in Quetta and identified his body through photographs kept in hospital records.
The experts said Ali’s remains were reportedly brought to the hospital along with six other bodies. None of the bodies were allegedly properly documented or reported by hospital staff or police before being buried without identification or notification to relatives.
The UN experts warned that, given the reported pattern of enforced disappearances in Balochistan, there are serious concerns that some of the unidentified bodies could also belong to people who had disappeared.
Call for Independent Investigation
The experts called for an independent forensic examination and proper identification of Ali’s remains, along with their dignified return to his family.
They said an investigation should establish the cause, manner and circumstances of his death and identify those responsible so that accountability can be ensured.
The experts further cautioned that Ali’s case should not be viewed in isolation. They pointed to what they described as a broader and increasingly concerning pattern of unlawful detention, vague or overbroad use of counter-terrorism laws, torture, enforced disappearances and alleged extrajudicial killings involving Baloch people.
These concerns come amid reports of intensified military and security operations in Balochistan and allegations of collective punishment.
UN Experts in Contact With Pakistan
UN human rights experts have previously raised concerns over the situation in Balochistan, including in March 2025, April 2025 and July 2026. They said they remain in contact with the Government of Pakistan regarding the issues raised.
The experts involved include members of the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, as well as the Special Rapporteurs on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; minority issues; and the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism.
The UN experts reiterated that Pakistan must ensure that allegations of enforced disappearance, torture and unlawful killing are investigated independently and effectively, with those responsible held accountable in accordance with international human rights standards.