Quetta, May 27: Several leading human rights organisations and student bodies on Wednesday strongly condemned the escalating wave of enforced disappearances of Baloch civilians, including women, across Pakistan, allegedly carried out by security forces, saying that for many affected families, Eid has turned into a period of grief, uncertainty and painful separation from their loved ones.

According to the Baloch Students Council (BSC) of Pakistan’s Punjab province, multiple students affiliated with the organisation’s Punjab and Islamabad chapters have been forcibly disappeared, leaving their families without any credible information regarding their detention or whereabouts.

Expressing grave concern, the student body said that the dire situation not only causes severe mental anguish for the affected families but also raises serious questions regarding “fundamental human and legal principles”.

“On the occasion of Eid al-Adha, while people around the world are celebrating with their families, the parents, siblings, and loved ones of the forcibly disappeared Baloch students are immersed in the sorrow of separation from their dear ones. For these families, the day of Eid has become a symbol of waiting, uncertainty, and grief,” the BSC, Punjab, stated.

Meanwhile, another Baloch woman, Habiba Peerjan, a resident of the Nazarabad Tump region in Balochistan, who is currently based in Karachi, was reportedly forcibly disappeared by Pakistani security forces on May 25 following a raid at her residence in Baldia Town.

According to the Baloch Women Forum, this marks her second enforced disappearance, as she was previously detained in May 2022 and released days later.

“The repeated targeting of Baloch women through enforced disappearances highlights a deeply troubling system of repression and collective punishment. It has created an atmosphere of fear and instability, leaving families in prolonged uncertainty without access to information, legal remedy or accountability,” the BWF stated.

Condemning the incident, Paank, the Baloch National Movement’s Human Rights Department, demanded the immediate and safe release of Habiba, while calling on the Pakistani authorities to end the ongoing practice of enforced disappearances and harassment of families in Balochistan and Karachi.

Pakistani forces also reportedly carried out large-scale search operations in several parts of Balochistan on Monday, during which multiple civilians were taken into custody in overnight raids.

Citing sources, The Balochistan Post reported that Pakistani forces forcibly disappeared a shopkeeper identified as Saif-ur-Rehman during a late-night raid in the Doctor Colony area of Khuzdar district.

Reports further suggest that six more individuals were picked up in separate operations across the district, although their identities remain unconfirmed.

Additionally, Pakistani forces, along with Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) personnel, reportedly conducted a large-scale search operation overnight in the Windar area of the Lasbela district.

Residents alleged that security forces conducted house-to-house searches during which incidents of assault, vandalism and looting occurred.

Several civilians were reportedly taken into custody in Windar during the operation, with their current whereabouts remaining unknown.

Riyadh, May 26: As millions of pilgrims assemble at Saudi Arabia’s Arafat on Tuesday for the core ritual of Haj, all Indian pilgrims had reached the holy site comfortably and in a timely manner to take part in the prayers.

Extending his wishes to all those performing Haj, Indian Ambassador to the Saudi Arabia, Suhel Ajaz Khan, said, “Today is the day of Arafat. It is the most important day of the core Haj, where the entire pilgrimage moves from the tent city of Mina to Arafat and spends the day here in Arafat in prayer before they move to their next destination of Muzdalifah after the sunset.”

“All Indian pilgrims have moved from Mina to Arafat in a timely manner, in a very comfortable manner, and they are all now accommodated in their tents in Arafat. We had moved pilgrims by both the buses and the trains. Almost fifty per cent of our pilgrims use the trains, and the rest of them use the buses to move. And everyone is now in Arafat and dedicating themselves to the prayers,” he added.

According to the Indian Embassy in Riyadh, Ambassador Khan, Indian Consul General of Jeddah, Fahad Suri, and the entire Indian Haj mission are present in Arafat and serving the Indian pilgrims.

Union Minister for Parliamentary and Minority Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, conveyed his heartfelt greetings and prayers, expressing hope that the sacred journey would reinforce the values of compassion, harmony and unity.

“On the very solemn occasion of Haj pilgrims assembling at the sacred plains of Arafat for the core rituals of Hajj 2026, I convey my heartfelt greetings & prayers to all the Hajis. May this sacred journey further strengthen the values of compassion, harmony & unity among all humanity,” Rijiju posted on X.

On Sunday, Ambassador Khan met Rahim Khan, Karnataka’s Minister for Municipal Administration and Haj in Mecca, briefing him on the preparedness ahead of the Haj period. Consul General Fahad Suri was also present in the meeting.

Earlier on Saturday, Khan visited Mecca and met with a number of pilgrims, listening to their concerns and feedback on the various Haj arrangements.

“He reviewed preparations with the consul general, coordinators, and other staff and visited branch offices and clinics where he interacted with the medical teams. He also assessed readiness for the core Haj period and the movement of pilgrims to the tent city of Mina,” the Indian Embassy in Riyadh posted on X.

Over 1.5 million people have arrived in Mecca for the annual Haj pilgrimage, which this year takes place amid hopes for an end to the war in West Asia.

Washington, May 21: US President Donald Trump has said that his administration is “in the final stages” of peace talks with Iran and is willing to wait a few days for the “right answer.”

“We’re in the final stages of Iran,” Trump told reporters. “We’ll see what happens.”

“We’ll either have a deal, or we’re going to do some things that are a little bit nasty. But hopefully that won’t happen,” he added.

The president claimed he is in “no hurry” to finalise a peace agreement with Iran, suggesting that he would not consider making a “limited deal” only focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, reports Xinhua news agency.

“We’re going to give this one shot,” Trump said of a potential deal, ruling out the idea of a partial compromise.

“I’m in no hurry. You never think, ‘Oh, the midterms, I’m in a hurry.’ I’m in no hurry,” Trump said.

The president added that he had a “very good” phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier on Wednesday. Turkey is seen as one of the key mediators during US-Iran negotiations.

Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps on Wednesday warned that if the US and Israeli aggression against the country is repeated, the war will extend beyond the West Asia region.

On the same day, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi warned in a post on X that returning to war with Iran will have many more surprises for the United States, citing a recent report by the US Congress that acknowledged the loss of dozens of aircraft.

On February 28, the United States and Israel launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing Iran’s then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded by launching waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israeli and US bases and assets in the Middle East.

A ceasefire was reached between the warring parties on April 8, followed by one round of peace talks in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, on April 11 and 12, which failed to yield an agreement.

US and Israeli officials have escalated threats of repeating military attacks against Iran over the past few days. Trump on Tuesday claimed Iran’s leaders were “begging” to make a deal, warning that a new US attack could take place in the coming days if no agreement is reached.