One of the leaders of the Balochistan National Party-Mengal has gone missing in Wadh, Khuzdar. Hundreds of indignant BNP-Mengal workers lit tyres and blocked the Quetta-Karachi highway in protest, halting all kinds of transportation.
The missing BNP-Mengal leader has been identified as Mohammad Jan Gurgnari, one of the leaders of the said party in Khuzdar.
The protestors alleged that Gurgnari has been ‘abducted’ by the local ‘death squads’, armed local groups that purportedly operate under the patronage of the Pakistani army.
Hundreds of vehicles have lined up on the blocked highway. The demonstrators have said that until Gurgnari has been released, the highway won’t be opened.
In another development, two youths also went missing in Khuzdar. The missing persons have been identified as Mohd. Tariq Qambrani s/o Mohd. Alam Qambrani and Mahboob Ali Channal. Both were residents of Khuzdar.
The family members of the missing persons have said that they were on their way home from Naal Bazar when they went missing midway under mysterious circumstances. Their disappearance has been a source of anxiety and dread for the family members.
Enforced disappearances are a major human rights issue in Balochistan. According to various estimates, thousands of persons have gone missing from different areas of Balochistan. Baloch political parties and human rights groups have blamed Pakistani security forces and law enforcement agencies for the disappearances.
Over the years, some missing persons have also returned home, but several others have gone missing at the same time. In Panjgoor, a missing Baloch student, identified as Sana Baloch, safely returned home on Thursday. He reportedly went missing earlier in November.
Two dead bodies were also found in the provincial capital Quetta and in Chaghi. According to the police, a dead body was found in a cemetery in the Satellite town in Quetta. The body has been transferred to the hospital and further investigation is underway.
According to the Levies forces, a bullet-riddled body was also found in a mountainous area in Chaghi. The body has been moved to hospital for further investigation.