𝗦𝗼-𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿-𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗺 (𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁) 𝗔𝗰𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱: 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻 𝘽𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙝 𝙔𝙖𝙠𝙟𝙚𝙝𝙩𝙞 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙚 On June 4, 2025, the Balochistan Assembly passed the so-called Counter-Terrorism (Balochistan Amendment) Act 2025, a deeply troubling development that marks a dangerous escalation in the systematic repression of the Baloch people. This legislation grants Pakistan’s intelligence agencies and military sweeping, unchecked powers to detain any individual, with Baloch citizens disproportionately targeted, for up to three months based solely on suspicion, without charge or trial. Such provisions constitute a grave violation of fundamental rights, including personal liberty, due process, and protection from arbitrary detention. The law further empowers these agencies to issue detention orders and conduct investigations through Joint Investigation Teams (JITs), while placing military personnel on oversight boards tasked with evaluating the ideological and psychological profiles of detainees. These measures erode civilian oversight, normalize military involvement in legal processes, and dangerously blur the lines of accountability. Additionally, the Act expands the power of law enforcement to conduct searches, arrests, and seizures without proper judicial oversight, significantly increasing the potential for abuse and undermining constitutional safeguards. Enforced disappearances have plagued Balochistan for decades. Pakistan’s intelligence and security forces have routinely abducted Baloch individuals without warrants or legal justification. Many victims have remained missing for 15 to 20 years, and such cases continue to be reported on a near-daily basis. Entire communities live under the constant threat of disappearance, fostering deep psychological trauma across Baloch society. It is not uncommon for dozens of individuals to be abducted in a single day. By passing this legislation, the Pakistani state has now effectively legalized a practice that was already rampant. It is a calculated move to formalize and expand enforced disappearances, transforming Balochistan into a surveillance zone and mass detention site, where no Baloch is safe from arbitrary arrest or torture. This echoes the collective punishment tactics seen in some of the darkest chapters of modern history, including Nazi concentration camps and the internment of Uyghur Muslims in China. The Counter-Terrorism (Balochistan Amendment) Act 2025 stands in direct violation of Article 10 of Pakistan’s Constitution and breaches the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Pakistan is a signatory. The Baloch Yakjehti Committee calls upon the United Nations, international human rights bodies, and global civil society to take urgent action. We urge them to pressure the Government of Pakistan to repeal this draconian law and to uphold its international human rights obligations. The international community must not remain silent in the face of state-sanctioned oppression and systemic violence in Balochistan. #stopbalochgenocide #endenforceddisappearances