Nargis Fayyaz has made a public appeal for the safe release of her husband, Fayyaz Ali, who has been ‘forcibly disappeared’ for the second time in less than two years. Speaking at the Quetta Press Club, she recounted her family’s ordeal, echoing broader concerns about alleged enforced disappearances in Balochistan.
Mrs. Fayyaz vividly recalled her earlier press appearances, where she displayed pictures of her husband after his first disappearance on August 30, 2021. “The anguish doesn’t just impact the victim, but it permeates through families,” she remarked.
Recounting the harrowing past, she said, ” Fayyaz first vanished on August 30, 2021. I sought every possible legal recourse for his safe release — FIRs, petitions to the Human Rights Commission, appeals in the High Court, press conferences, and social media campaigns.”
Describing the recurring trauma, she continued, “The agonizing wait ended when Fayyaz returned after a nine-month absence on May 21, 2022. But just as life was showing signs of normalcy, it plunged back into despair. Uniformed officials forcefully entered our home early Friday morning, taking Fayyaz without any warrant.”
Further deepening her distress, Nargis shared that in February 2023, both she and her husband were unexpectedly declared ‘absconders’ in an FIR dated November 8, 2022, on charges relating to explosives. This declaration came without any prior notification. “We were never contacted by any agency before being labeled as fugitives,” she lamented. However, based on witness testimonies, a court later granted the couple bail.
Drawing attention to the broader implications of her family’s ordeal, Mrs. Fayyaz said: “Declaring an innocent person as a fugitive and making them disappear is clearly an act to intimidate us.” She ended her address with an appeal to higher authorities and human rights organizations, urging them to step in and offer assistance.
Fayyaz Ali’s situation is not unique. In Balochistan, enforced disappearances have become alarmingly frequent. Rights groups and affected families consistently demand transparency, accountability, and the strict following of legal procedures in cases involving disappeared individuals.