UN experts on Friday have raised alarm over the alleged enforced disappearance, torture, and extrajudicial killing of Imran Ali, a student from the Balochistan province, calling it part of a state-sponsored pattern of targeting ethnic Baloch people and urged Pakistan to conduct an urgent investigation.
In commenting on the importance of transparency and accountability in shedding light on the circumstances surrounding Imran Ali’s death, the experts stated:
The enforced disappearance of Imran Ali and his death in custody must be subject to a prompt, thorough, independent, and impartial investigation. Such an investigation must include independent forensic examinations, proper identification of the body, and its dignified return to the family. It should establish the cause, manner, and circumstances of Ali’s death, while identifying those responsible, with a view to ensuring accountability.
In late August 2025, Ali was kidnapped from his residence by around 20 agents from the Counter-Terrorism Department before being subsequently taken to a secret location. His fate and precise location remained a mystery for a year, leading to a period of agonizing uncertainty for his family. However, former detainees who were in captivity with him confirmed that he often endured periods of torture by personnel from the Counter-Terrorism Department, a measure that directly contravenes Article 2 of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and Article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
His fate only came to light approximately a year after he went missing, when a police officer testified before a hearing before Pakistan’s Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances saying that Ali had lost his life in May 2026, but due to delays by authorities in properly identifying his body and the alleged inability to preserve his remains, he was later buried. This testimony led his family to seek more concrete answers by visiting the Civil Hospital in Quetta, which functions as the primary public hospital and morgue in the region where state authorities bring unidentified bodies in the aftermath of security operations.
Ali’s family identified his body from the provided photographs, and although it provided tangible evidence of his fate, the UN experts said that a new set of questions opened up regarding the timeline of events leading up to his death, alongside the possibility of a deliberate cover-up. The experts also drew attention to the possibility of foul play in the deaths of six other people, whose bodies were brought to the hospital.
The human rights landscape in the region of Balochistan has deteriorated in recent years, with organizations such as Amnesty International denouncing the hostility shown towards Baloch leaders and political activists by the Pakistani army. The severe friction between the Baloch people and the Pakistani military stems from a deeply rooted ethnic and economic conflict.
The rise in insurgent groups such as the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has further entrenched this conflict since assertive political activism and nationalist movements are now subject to increased surveillance, with the military often designating them as potential recruiters for the BLA. Additionally, grievances by local leaders who were dissatisfied with the central government’s control of Balochistan’s natural resources like copper and gold, have further intensified tensions.
