Scores of civilians in the Hoshaap area of Turbat took to the roads on Thursday to protest against the “enforced disappearances” of their loved ones. They blocked the main CPEC artery in protest.
The protestors demanded the safe release of Nasir s/o Dostain, Murad Baksh s/o Abdul Rehman and Pisn s/o Chaarshambay who were allegedly detained by the Pakistani forces. The protestors said that our loved ones have been missing for a month – they are held incommunicado and we don’t know anything about their whereabouts and condition.
The protestors also blocked the main CPEC artery, thus suspending the two-way traffic for several hours on the busy route. They demanded the government authorities, politicians and rights activists must play their due role in the recovery of their loved ones.
In Quetta, Balochistan, the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons completed 4601 days of its historical protest. Samiullah Mandokhel and members of his cabinet visited the camp to express solidarity with the families of the Baloch missing persons.
Addressing the gathering, VBMP Vice-Chairman Mama Qadeer Baloch said that a military operation is underway in Panjgur where the Pakistani forces have forcibly disappeared an alarming number of innocent civilians. He said that the forces have shut off all the routes going in and out of the city and communication channels are also blocked.
Mama Qadeer Baloch said that our organization, the VBMP, has been campaigning for the safe release of Baloch missing persons for several years. He said that we have the details of the thousands of individuals who have gone missing throughout Balochistan the past several years. He said that we will present these documents before the United Nations, the European Union and other global bodies so that they can understand the level of oppression the Baloch have endured.
The Voice for Baloch Missing Persons made history in 2013 when it carried out a 3000km long march from Quetta to Islamabad on foot. They aimed to highlight the issue of Baloch missing persons before the world. Following their lead, members of the Turbat Civil Society have also launched a long march from Turbat to Quetta. Under the leadership of civil society convener Gulzar Dost, the trekkers reached Hoshaap on Wednesday. They aimed to reach Balgatar town by the night. The marchers’ feet were swollen due to the long march.
