The Baloch Students’ Organization Azad (BSO-Azad) has issued a statement announcing a week-long social media campaign to commemorate Baloch Missing Persons’ Day on June 8th. The organization has mobilized its chapters across Balochistan and beyond to conduct events to mark the day.
BSO-Azad said that its campaign will encompass various activities, and the group also asked the former detainees, families of missing persons, human rights advocates, political and social workers, as well as the general public, to participate and make their voices heard.
The spokesperson for BSO-Azad said that June 8th marks the anniversary of the disappearance of Zakir Majeed Baloch, a prominent leader of the organization, who was taken by Pakistani security forces in Mastung in 2009. His fate, along with that of thousands of others, remains uncertain as their families continue to hope for their safe return.
BSO-Azad lamented the silence of international human rights organizations regarding the dire situation in Balochistan. The group also highlighted that Baloch individuals, regardless of age, are susceptible to enforced disappearances, leaving no one safe from this threat. The organization encouraged those who have previously gone missing to engage in the campaign and share their stories with the world.
The group encouraged its campaign participants to use the hashtag #BalochMissingPersonsDay on the campaign-related posts on social media.
The BSO-Azad’s initiative has garnered support from Baloch Voice for Justice, a group that champions human rights issues in Balochistan. They have voiced their backing for the campaign and announced their intention to partake in it. The group has also called upon its social media followers and other potential participants to join the movement and advocate for the safe return of the Baloch missing persons.