The Hidden War: Pakistani Army’s Violence and Disappearances in Balochistan – Women Speak Out — Heroof Baloch

Written By : Heroof Baloch

In the dry, rugged landscapes of Balochistan, a quiet war has been raging for decades. It is not a conventional war of armies — but a campaign of fear, silencing, and disappearance. While international headlines focus on politics or borders, the human cost in Baloch society, especially among women, is mostly ignored. Since the early 2000s, enforced disappearances have become one of the most disturbing tools of repression used by the Pakistani military and intelligence agencies. Thousands of Baloch men — students, activists, teachers, and ordinary villagers — have vanished without legal process. But now, something even more chilling is happening: Baloch women are increasingly becoming targets.
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A Worsening Pattern
In districts like Kech, Panjgur, Dera Bugti, Awaran, and Mashkay, entire families have been affected by military operations. Witnesses say military convoys arrive in the middle of the night, break into homes, and take away people without warrants, explanations, or legal process. In many of these operations, women and children are either harassed, used as pressure tactics, or detained for questioning.
In January 2024, videos circulated on social media showing Baloch women from Kech and Turbat protesting outside a Frontier Corps base, demanding the release of their relatives. They held photos of missing husbands, sons, and brothers. Some women broke down in tears, crying not just for their families, but for a future where they live under constant surveillance and fear.
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Voices from the Ground

A woman from Panjgur, requesting anonymity, shared:

> “My husband disappeared five years ago. I have gone from army offices to police stations, to human rights offices in Quetta. They all say, ‘we will look into it.’ But no one tells me anything. I raise my three children alone. I wait, every day, thinking someone will knock and bring him back.”

Another young woman from Kech explained how her uncle was taken during a house raid.
> “They searched everything. Even my personal belongings. When we asked why, one soldier said, ‘Ask your men not to speak too much.’ They see us as threats too now.”

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Psychological Warfare Against Women
The disappearances are not just physical. They tear families apart, creating long-term trauma. Many Baloch women suffer silently, dealing with depression, poverty, and social pressure. Some can’t remarry. Some are forced to take their children out of school due to financial hardship. Others live under threat, constantly warned to “stay quiet.”

In more recent cases, women have also been arrested and accused of spreading “anti-state propaganda” — a label used to criminalize peaceful protest or social media activity.
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The Response: Protests and Public Defiance
Despite the risks, Baloch women have become a growing voice in the struggle. From long marches in Quetta and Islamabad to sit-ins outside press clubs, they are speaking out. In 2023, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, a grassroots protest group, organized demonstrations led by mothers and sisters of the disappeared across several cities. Their banners read:
“We are not terrorists. We are only asking, Where are our loved ones?”
Women have shown bravery by directly confronting officials, attending court hearings, and using social media to raise awareness — often at great personal risk.
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A Culture of Silence and Denial
The Pakistani state continues to deny its role in these disappearances. Government officials blame “foreign-funded separatists” or claim that many missing persons have “gone underground”. But reports from Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and local rights groups tell a different story — one of a policy of intimidation, abduction, and impunity.

No military official has ever been held accountable.
Mainstream media rarely reports on these incidents. In many cases, journalists are threatened or barred from entering Baloch areas. This blackout allows the cycle of violence to continue without scrutiny.

The Real Cost: An Entire Generation at Risk
While political leaders argue over security, development, or CPEC investments, an entire generation of Baloch youth is growing up without fathers, brothers, or a sense of safety. Baloch women are holding their families together — not just as mothers or wives, but as protectors, educators, and quiet warriors.

Their resistance is not in armed struggle — it is in survival, memory, and refusing to forget the faces of the disappeared.

Conclusion
The situation in Balochistan is not just a political conflict — it is a human crisis. As more Baloch women are dragged into this war through abductions, intimidation, and psychological torture, the silence of the international community becomes harder to justify.

These women are not asking for charity. They are asking for justice, accountability, and answers. In a world that often ignores quiet suffering, their voices are loud — if only we choose to listen.