Missing persons from Jhalawan region of Balochistan still unheard of even after years.
During the 2000s, Balochistan witnessed a fresh wave of insurgency and nationalism, and government forces were alleged to rely on what analysts called ‘fascist methods’ where political activists, student leaders and tribal heads were forcibly disappeared as a counter-insurgency tactic.
Among the men who were put behind dark cells, hundreds were picked up from Jhalawan region of Balochistan, which was the home-town of several political figures.
Names of missing political figures from Jhalawan region include Shams Baloch, a former Nazim of Baghbana Tehsil, Munir Mirwani, a former president of Bar, Zakir Majeed, who was vice chairman of student organization BSO Azad, Saad Ullah Baloch, a former general secretary of Balochistan National Party of Khuzdar district, Ghafoor Baloch, a former Central Committee member of Baloch National Movement, Kabeer Baloch, Mushtaq Baloch and scores of Qalandrani tribesmen, who were abducted during a major military operation in 2014 in Tootak town.
Qalandrani tribesmen who remain missing are the sons of Qalandrani chief Ali Muhammad: Ateeq Qalandrani, Khalil Qalandrani and others Aftab Qalandrani, Irshad Qalandrani; Zafar Qalandrani and the 80-year-old Abdul Raheem Qalandrani, however, two young boys, Yahya and Naeem Qalandrani, were killed during the operation, which was reported in the media, and Maqsood Qalandrani, who was picked up during the operation, his dead-body surfaced in Quetta city.
There are missing persons also from other regions of Balochistan, who still remain missing.
Saddam Baloch S/O Muhammad Qasim and Asif Suhail S/O Babu Qasim R/O Kharan city remain missing since 2013, who according to the family were abducted by LEAs from Quetta and Kharan respectively.
Similarly, Saddam Hussain, a student of English literature in Balochistan University, and Jan Muhammad Kurd were also abducted from Quetta in 2015. Their families at VBMP camp claimed they were forcibly taken away by Pakistani forces.
According to Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP), the campaign group by families of victims, more than 40,000 Baloch men, women, and children are under Pakistani custody.
VBMP also alleges that at least 5,000 missing persons have been killed and dumped over last one decade.