August 30, 2025
Staff Report
LAHORE: A coalition of eight leading human rights and civil society organizations, including Amnesty International and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), has issued a joint statement urging the Pakistani government to end the practice of enforced disappearances, hold perpetrators accountable, and provide justice and reparations to victims and their families.
The statement, released on the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, denounced what it called the “systematic failure” of Pakistani authorities to prevent abductions by state agencies, investigate thousands of reported cases, and protect citizens’ fundamental rights.
Thousands remain missing
According to the Defence of Human Rights (DHR), a local advocacy group led by families of the disappeared, at least 3,140 cases have been documented since 2006, of which 1,362 people remain missing. In 2025 alone, 32 new cases were recorded.
Other regional organizations reported an equally grim picture. The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) reported 546 cases of enforced disappearance between January and July this year, the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) documented 133, while the Voice for Missing Persons of Sindh confirmed 40 cases in the same period.
Official data paints a broader but equally troubling picture. The Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances (COIED), established in 2011, has registered 10,592 cases up to August 2025. Of these, 1,017 were traced to internment centres, 706 were located in prisons, and 293 individuals were confirmed dead. Around 4,776 individuals were reported to have returned home, but at least 1,837 cases remain unresolved.
Ineffective commission, culture of impunity
The joint statement criticized the COIED for failing to deliver justice, despite being in operation for more than 15 years. The commission is legally empowered to issue “production orders” requiring authorities to present missing persons before courts, but the statement noted that of the 700 such orders issued, only a handful have been implemented.
“Families are left with nothing more than paper orders that go unheeded for years,” the rights groups observed, noting that some families have waited over six years for compliance. Crucially, not a single perpetrator has been prosecuted through the commission’s referrals.
The groups also noted Pakistan’s reluctance to align itself with international conventions. The country has neither ratified the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (CPED) nor acceded to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which recognizes enforced disappearances as crimes against humanity.
Legal cover for repression
Rights groups also highlighted the role of Pakistan’s legal framework in perpetuating enforced disappearances. Laws such as the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, theActions (in Aid of Civil Power) Regulation 2011, the Army Act Amendments 2023, and the Official Secrets Act Amendments 2023 were cited as providing “legal cover” to arbitrary detention and secrecy.
The statement pointed out that new amendments to the Anti-Terrorism Act now allow preventive detention of suspects for up to 90 days, while special powers granted to security forces under other laws have normalized practices of abduction and secret detention.
Attempts by the judiciary to address the crisis were also criticized. A committee formed by the National Judicial Policy Making Committee in July to devise an “institutional response” was described as non-inclusive and opaque, with no consultations held with families of the disappeared or rights organizations.
Targeted communities and reprisals
The practice of enforced disappearances disproportionately affects ethnic minorities, particularly Baloch, Pashtun, and Sindhi communities, according to the joint statement. Families of missing persons are not only deprived of breadwinners but also face social stigma, psychological trauma, and financial insecurity.
Furthermore, peaceful protests by families have increasingly been met with surveillance, harassment, arbitrary arrests, and unlawful use of force by the authorities. Activists associated with the BYC and PTM, in particular, have repeatedly reported intimidation during their campaigns for the safe return of missing relatives.
Breach of constitutional and international obligations
The statement underscored that enforced disappearances violate both Pakistan’s constitution and international commitments. Domestically, they contravene constitutional protections, including the right to life (Article 9), safeguards on arrest and detention (Article 10), right to fair trial (Article 10A), and freedom of movement, assembly, association, and speech (Articles 15–19A).
Internationally, Pakistan is bound by treaties it has ratified, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention Against Torture (CAT), both of which prohibit arbitrary detention and torture. Despite these obligations, the authorities have failed to criminalize enforced disappearance under domestic law.
Demands to the government
Marking the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, the eight signatory organizations issued a comprehensive set of demands for the Pakistani government. These include:
- Ending enforced disappearances and secret detentions immediately.
- Disclosing the fate and whereabouts** of all disappeared persons and either releasing them unconditionally or presenting them before independent civilian courts.
- Ensuring accountability** by conducting independent, impartial, and effective investigations into all cases and prosecuting perpetrators through fair civilian trials, without recourse to the death penalty.
- Ratifying international treaties**, including the CPED, the Rome Statute of the ICC, and the Ljubljana–The Hague Convention, without reservations.
- Recognizing the competence of the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances to consider complaints from victims and families.
- Abolishing military courts and repealing laws that legitimize enforced disappearances, including recent amendments to the Army Act and Official Secrets Act, the Actions in Aid of Civil Power Regulation, and the Anti-Terrorism Act.
- Reforming the COIED to ensure transparency and effectiveness, while also establishing a Truth and Reconciliation Commission with family representatives to provide closure and compensation.
- Criminalizing enforced disappearances under domestic law** through amendments to the Pakistan Penal Code, ensuring conformity with international human rights standards.
The joint statement was endorsed by Amnesty International, Asian Federation Against Involuntary and Enforced Disappearances (AFAD), Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), Defence of Human Rights (DHR), Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), Sindhian National Congress, and Voice for Missing Persons of Sindh (VMPS).
“These practices have eroded trust in the state and perpetuated a cycle of repression,” the signatories said, warning that delayed justice continues to “create an environment of impunity that undermines human rights in the country.”
Growing international scrutiny
The UN Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) has repeatedly criticized Pakistan for its failure to address the issue. Despite its engagement with Pakistani authorities over decades, the group has said the state continues to ignore recommendations and instead passes laws that further entrench impunity.
Observers note that Pakistan’s failure to act could increasingly affect its global standing, particularly with Western states and international bodies that are prioritizing accountability and human rights compliance in bilateral relations and aid frameworks.