Students from various educational institutions of Turbat city of Kech district marched on various roads in the city through press club, to record a protest against enforced disappearances in Balochistan.
Protestors were carrying placards, pictures of missing persons and banners in their hands. Later they staged a sit-in at Shaheed Fida Chowk. The protest was joined by the Civil Society Turbat, All Parties Kech, Haq Do Tehreek and people from different walks of life.
The protest was also attended by families of the missing persons – who brought with them Eid clothes and shoes for their loved ones, who are now missing.
Speaking on the occasion, the student leaders said that the enforced disappearances of students from educational institutions across the country, including Balochistan, have made it cristal clear that the ruling elites want to push the Baloch people further backward.
They said that Beebarg Imdad was forcefully disappearance in daylight in public from Punjab University and similarly many other students have gone missing this year. “We are not told that what crime they are detained for”, they said.
Student leaders said that force is being used indiscriminately to intimidate youth in Balochistan – Muslims are celebrating Eid al-Fitr today but mothers in Balochistan are protesting for the recovery of their children, the protestors said.
Student leaders said the everyone from Hayat Baloch to Beebarg Imdad is being punished only for being Baloch, which is considered an anti-Baloch policy.
The protestors demanded the safe recovery of Baloch missing persons and said that Baloch students should be given the right to study in a peaceful environment, which other students have in the country.
According to the father of the missing youth, his son is a medical student. After his arrest, his son has been transferred to an unknown location.
It may be recalled that cases of enforced disappearances in Balochistan have been reported on a daily basis, majority of the missing persons are political activists and students. Baloch nationalist circles and human rights organizations have blamed Pakistani forces and intelligence agencies for such crimes.
Incidents of enforced disappearances have been on the rise from time to time. In the last one week, reports of enforced disappearances of around ten Baloch youth from different parts of Karachi, Lahore and Balochistan have been received.
Protests against enforced disappearances have been recorded in Islamabad and Lahore today on Eid by the families of the missing persons and in different parts of Balochistan, while Voice for Baloch Missing Persons’ hunger strike camp also continues its decade long unabated protest in Quetta.
Meanwhile two more Baloch students have been reported missing from Noshki and Hub Chowki cities of Balochistan.
According to reports, security forces and intelligence personnel raided a house in Bhavani area of Hub Chowki and forcibly disappeared a student. The abductee has been identified as Yasir son of Hameed.
Similarly, from Noshki, the Pakistani intelligence personnel allegedly raided a house and arrested a medical student and transferred him to an unknown location. The father of the missing youth has informed Noshki police station that gunmen in plain clothes and uniforms broke into his house, tortured his son Ateeq and took him away. His whereabouts are unknown since, the father said.