Two Baloch students, Jawad Iqbal and Zaid Baloch, who were reportedly forcibly disappeared from their hostel in Islamabad have been released. Their sudden disappearance had ignited outrage, leading to widespread calls and social media campaigns for their immediate release.
The students were allegedly forcibly disappeared from their hostel by Pakistani forces and secretive agencies on Tuesday. Jawad Iqbal, a resident of Sangani Sir, Turbat and a student of the Department of Electronics at Quaid-e-Azam University, and Zaid Baloch, a resident of Pasni, Gwadar who recently graduated from Orbit College Islamabad, were detained and moved to an undisclosed location.
The incident triggered significant concerns over the increasing reports of enforced disappearances of Baloch students across Pakistan. In response to this growing issue, the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) staged a protest in Quetta on Tuesday.
The Baloch Students Council Islamabad announced the release of the two students and expressed gratitude towards all who protested against the abduction, stating on Twitter: “We thank all the people who raised their voices against the abduction of Baloch students. We continue to resist and raise our voices for our other fellow missing students.”