Residents of Turbat Apsar, including Tariq Daud and several women, held a press conference at the Turbat Press Club on Saturday evening, claiming that four young men had been forcibly disappeared by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and other Pakistani forces.
According to the relatives, the four men were taken from their homes in the early hours of Friday. They demanded the immediate release of these individuals, warning that if they are not released within two days, they will indefinitely block the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) highway at the D Baloch and Hoshab locations.
The missing men, identified as Salah Tariq, Waseem Hassan, Imtiaz Iqbal, and Ijaz Shiran, were reportedly working as vehicle drivers at the border. The relatives expressed concerns that the CTD might falsely accuse the men and stage ‘fake encounters,’ noting that the CTD has previously been implicated in the deaths of missing persons in such encounters.
During the press conference, Salah Tariq’s sister said her brother is a Zamyad vehicle driver. “If there are any charges against him, he should be presented in court along with evidence of his alleged crimes,” she stated.
Waseem Hassan’s sister said he was taken from their home around 1:30 AM, with the entire family witnessing the incident. She expressed fear that the CTD might kill him in a ‘fake encounter,’ as has allegedly happened to others.
The protesters declared that if the four men are not recovered and presented in court within two days, they will stage a sit-in on the CPEC M8 highway, blocking the Turbat-Karachi and Turbat-Quetta routes. They stated that the responsibility for any disruption will lie with the CTD and the administration.
The relatives appealed to the authorities for the immediate recovery of the four missing men, urging for their safe return and due legal process.