A protest rally on Sariab Road in Quetta turned violent as police fired tear gas, charged with batons, and arrested several demonstrators who were demanding the recovery of Zaheer Ahmed. The protest, led by Zaheer’s family and supported by various groups, has been ongoing for the past 11 days.
Dr. Mahrang Baloch, a leader of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, condemned the police action against the peaceful protesters, including women and children. She criticized the state’s reliance on violence to address issues, stating, “The state believes in solving every issue through violence. First, they violate their own constitution by forcibly disappearing citizens, and when their families protest peacefully, they respond with brutal force and arrests.”
Dr. Mahrang Baloch called on the Baloch community and the public to stand in solidarity with Zaheer Ahmed’s family and all peaceful protesters against this oppression. “If the state thinks it can suppress the people’s voice through brutality, it is gravely mistaken. I urge everyone to raise their voices against this violence and support the families of the disappeared,” she said.
The ongoing protests highlight the broader issue of enforced disappearances in Balochistan, a significant human rights concern in the region.