The case of Rashid Hussain, a Baloch political activist who was reportedly detained in the United Arab Emirates and subsequently extradited to Pakistan, was heard at the Islamabad High Court on Thursday.
Human rights advocate Imaan Mazari, representing the case, voiced her concerns during the proceedings. Despite the court’s repeated requests, she highlighted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ continued failure to provide details about Rashid’s 2019 extradition to Pakistan. Mazari sharply criticized the state’s apparent negligence and its perceived indifference towards the enforced disappearances of its citizens.
Rashid Hussain’s sister, Fareeda Baloch, shared on the social media platform X, that various media reports and police statements had confirmed Rashid’s extradition to Pakistan. She referenced footage aired by Pakistani media outlets showing an unidentified individual, face covered, being escorted from Karachi Airport.
Despite these initial confirmations, Fareeda highlighted that when the family presented evidence pointing to Rashid’s forceful extradition and subsequent disappearance, the authorities changed their stance, labeling him an absconder from an anti-terrorism court in Karachi.
She also detailed incidents where their family home was allegedly subjected to raids by Pakistani forces, and close relatives were detained. She believes these incidents were attempts to intimidate them into dropping the case.
Fareeda expressed their family’s consistent stance: “If there are charges against Rashid, let him be presented in the appropriate courts for a fair trial. We will accept the court’s decision. However, his enforced disappearance is an unconstitutional act that we cannot remain silent about.”
Both Imaan Mazari and Fareeda Baloch are urging political, social, and human rights advocates in Quetta to attend a seminar this Sunday on Rashid Hussain’s case, aiming to amplify the call for his safe return.