Protests and sit-ins are ongoing in various cities of Balochistan against enforced disappearances and for the recovery of missing persons.
According to reports, demonstrators have gathered in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, and in Kech district’s Turbat, to protest enforced disappearances and express frustration over the police’s refusal to file FIRs for the missing persons.
In Quetta, the families of Shayek and Farooq Baloch, who were reportedly forcibly disappeared from a hostel by Pakistani forces, organized a rally. They were joined by students and political activists who held a sit-in outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office, blocking the road to traffic.
Human rights activist Beebarg Baloch commented on the Quetta sit-in: “Today’s protest is against the non-recovery of two forcibly disappeared young students from Quetta and the police’s refusal to file an FIR for the incident.” He added that the sit-in would continue until an FIR is registered.
Meanwhile, in Turbat, the sit-in by long march protesters from Zamuran, who arrived on Sunday, is ongoing outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office. Various political and social organizations have joined the protest.
The Turbat sit-in is led by Arif Baloch, the father of the forcibly disappeared Muslim Arif, along with the district president of the Haq Do Tehreek, Haji Nasir, and other relatives of missing persons.
Protesters in Turbat demand an end to the long-standing oppression and enforced disappearances by Pakistani state forces in Zamuran, particularly in Buleda. They allege that the local population lives in fear, with dozens falling victim to enforced disappearances. The protesters warned that if the administration fails to act and recover the missing persons, the protest movement will escalate.
Participants of the Turbat sit-in also called on political and human rights organizations to raise their voices against enforced disappearances and assist in recovering the missing persons.
These protests in Balochistan highlight the ongoing discontent with Pakistani authorities and the demand for justice among the people of Balochistan, who continue to face significant challenges in their fight against enforced disappearances and for the recovery of their loved ones.