Recent years have demonstrated how the pervasive control exercised by the military-dominated establishment has effectively transformed Pakistan into an increasingly authoritarian state, resulting in a severe curtailment of individual rights.
In the 1980s, under the Saddam Hussien’s rule, Iraq earned the moniker of “Republic of Fear'', because of his pervasive use of state secret agents, mukhabarat, to control the socio-political life of the country through a continuous cycle of fear, violence, and compliance. The contemporary Pakistan reflects a grimmer version of the 1980s Iraq with the military establishment having virtually assumed control over all facets of Pakistani society.
Recent years have demonstrated how the pervasive control exercised by the military-dominated establishment has effectively transformed Pakistan into an increasingly authoritarian state, resulting in a severe curtailment of individual rights. This period has witnessed a widespread crackdown on any form of dissent, with dozens of individuals being apprehended and subsequently disappearing at the hands of state agencies led by military intelligence. The events following the 9 May 2023 uprising serve as emblematic of this unsettling reality. During a large-scale crackdown, hundreds of opposition activists, journalists, and human rights advocates, alongside thousands of protesters, were detained. Many of these individuals now find themselves subjected to trials in military courts, while the fate of dozens of activists remains uncertain. Among the most prominent cases is the disappearance of journalist Imran Riaz, a staunch supporter of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Imran Riaz was detained by Punjab Police and handed over to the Pakistani intelligence agencies from the Sialkot airport and has been never heard off ever since. What is more striking is how the Pakistani state agencies disdained court directives demanding the presentation of the journalist before the judiciary through their persistent denials of holding his custody despite the evidence to the contrary. This highlights the state of affairs of Pakistan’s accountability and transparency within its state apparatus, which raises serious questions about the protection of civil liberties and the rule of law in that country.
Notwithstanding other rights violations committed by the state agencies, particularly the military intelligence agencies, the use of enforced disappearances to silence the population has been a longstanding tradition of the Pakistani Army. Its history can be traced back to the 1970s but took on a more systematic and widespread character during the tenure of military dictator General Pervez Musharraf in early 2000s. This coincided with the Pakistani military's aggressive actions against both Pashtuns and Balochis under the guise of supporting America's war on terror. Since then, thousands of persons have reportedly gone missing after being apprehended by military intelligence agencies to be never seen again. Furthermore, hundreds of these missing individuals were allegedly handed over by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to American authorities on suspicions of ties to Al-Qaeda.
Numerous reports, including those from the official government commission, have shed light on the extent of enforced disappearances in Pakistan, which reveal staggering figures. It is estimated that over 8,000 individuals have been subjected to enforced disappearances, with a significant majority hailing from ethnic communities such as the Balochis, Pashtuns, and Sindhis. The Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances (COIOED), established in March 2011, which decides on the cases of enforced disappearance cases, have recorded 8,693 individuals as missing across Pakistan. The COIOED has claimed to have resolved around 6,458 cases, even as the over 2,000 continued to remain unaccounted for. However, these figures have been contested by various rights advocacy groups. According to the Voice for the Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP), which has been pursuing and monitoring cases of enforced disappearances in Balochistan, the number of individuals subjected to enforced abductions exceeds 8,000 in the Balochistan region alone. This is further compounded by the discovery of hundreds of mutilated bodies dumped across different parts of Balochistan region over the years, thereby pointing to custodial killings as well.
Similarly, as per Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), which advocates for the human rights of ethnic Pashtuns, particularly those who have suffered at the hands of Pakistani military agencies under the pretext of combatting the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and its affiliated groups, reports equally distressing situation in the tribal regions. According to PTM, there are more than 5,000 Pashtuns who remain unaccounted for following their enforced abductions by the military intelligence agencies. The military’s discontent for those voicing about these crimes can be gauged by how after a protest march in Islamabad in August 2023, PTM's co-founder and former lawmaker, Ali Wazir, along with other rights activist, Iman Waziri, were arrested for criticising Pakistan Army and highlighting ongoing rights violations in the country. The two remain under custody ever since. In yet another region, the Organizer World Sindhi Congress, an advocacy group dedicated to the rights of Sindhis, has made startling claims that "thousands of Sindhis, political workers, and human rights activists have disappeared" within the province over the years.
In 2011, a damning report by Human Rights Watch underscored the brazen nature of enforced disappearances in Pakistan. The report emphasised that the Pakistani security and intelligence grid operated with impunity as the majority of abductions were carried out “in broad daylight, often in busy public areas, and in the presence of multiple witnesses.” The disappearance of journalist Riaz Khan from an airport in Pakistan and subsequent denial of the state agencies of his custody demonstrates this modus operandi. Fast forward to 2020, a report by the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) held that Pakistan’s government commission, COIOED, had miserably failed in its mandate “in holding perpetrators accountable.” More alarmingly, it accused the Pakistan government of using the commission as a facade to appear committed to “upholding” accountability, all while the grave issue of enforced disappearances continued unabated.
This unaccountability has been ensured by a weak political culture which has been continuously undermined and dominated by Pakistan military and hence making the civilian authority irrelevant in these matters while it commits these rights violations with impunity. It is notable to mention that during his campaign for 2018 elections, Imran Khan repeatedly pledged to address the issues of enforced disappearances and vowed to put an end to this practice by the state agencies. However, his promise of reform has not translated into any meaningful change. In fact, once in power, reports emerged that during his very first year in office, Pakistan witnessed a steep rise in the number of forced abductions. Though Khan’s government did bring in legislation to criminalise this practice, that has not dissuaded the perpetrators of this practice from carrying out these abductions.
Therefore, as long as the military establishment's stranglehold on Pakistan's political affairs persists, the pursuit of justice and the protection of civil liberties will remain elusive for those affected by enforced disappearances. The international community must continue to shine a light on these issues and press for change in Pakistan's approach to human rights and accountability.
Writer is the veteran of the Indian Navy
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