Quetta, Sep 21 — The Human Rights Council of Balochistan (HRCB) has strongly condemned a controversial directive issued by the provincial government requiring families to submit sworn affidavits disowning relatives accused of “militancy.” The order threatens families with criminal prosecution, confiscation of property, and withdrawal of state benefits if they refuse compliance.
In a strongly worded statement, the HRCB said the policy constitutes collective punishment, a direct violation of international human rights and humanitarian law. “By seeking to criminalise entire families for the alleged actions of individuals, the state is not only violating principles of individual responsibility and due process, but also engaging in a practice that bears the hallmarks of a crime against humanity,” it said.
The rights body stressed that the directive is particularly cruel for families of victims of enforced disappearance, many of whom are already suffering trauma and uncertainty. Forcing them to report to Pakistan’s Army and Frontier Corps — institutions repeatedly accused of carrying out enforced disappearances — amounts to “deliberate humiliation, coercion, and psychological torture,” the HRCB noted.
According to the council, such measures not only entrench impunity but also shift the burden of responsibility from the authorities to the victims themselves. The HRCB urged the international community, UN human rights mechanisms, and legal experts to denounce what it called a “draconian and unlawful policy.”
“It is imperative that this measure be recognised as a blatant violation of Pakistan’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention Against Torture (CAT),” the statement added.
The HRCB further demanded accountability from the Pakistani government, calling for an immediate end to enforced disappearances and a restoration of rule of law in Balochistan.
