HRCP voices alarm over worsening security in Balochistan, KP

QUETTA: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed serious concern over what it described as a sharp decline in the security situation in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying people in the two provinces are increasingly trapped between enforced disappearances, targeted killings and militant violence.

In a statement, the rights body said the reported abduction of Gwadar University’s vice chancellor, pro-vice chancellor and two other employees in Mastung, while they were travelling from Gwadar to Quetta, had raised major concerns about the state’s capacity to keep key highways secure and safeguard civilians.

HRCP also said it was deeply troubled by the killing of Professor Ghamkhwar Hayat in Nushki on Saturday. It said attacks involving teachers and academics carried consequences that went beyond the loss of individual lives.

Concerns over attacks in KP

Referring to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the commission said recent deadly incidents in Bannu, Bajaur and Lakki Marwat reflected an intensifying pattern of militant violence. It specifically mentioned the bombing of a crowded market in Sarai Naurang and said such attacks continued to claim lives without distinction, including civilians, police personnel and members of the security forces.

The commission urged the authorities to take practical steps instead of limiting their response to condemnatory statements. It said the immediate recovery of the missing university officials, credible investigations into all such incidents and accountability for those responsible were necessary first measures.

HRCP said that securing the release of the missing university staff members and ensuring proper investigations into attacks in both provinces should be treated as urgent priorities.

The statement comes amid mounting concern over violence in parts of Balochistan and KP, where attacks on civilians, educational figures and security personnel have continued to draw attention from rights groups and public representatives. In its latest remarks, HRCP linked the recent incidents to a broader deterioration in public safety and called for concrete action by the state to restore confidence and protect lives.

The commission maintained that accountability for perpetrators was essential, alongside visible measures to ensure that roads, markets and other public spaces remain safe for ordinary citizens. It warned that the continued targeting of civilians and professionals, including members of the academic community, underscored the gravity of the security challenge facing both provinces.