The family of missing human rights activist Rashid Hussain Baloch held a protest in Quetta on Sunday, demanding information about his whereabouts following his enforced disappearance in 2018.
Hussain was reportedly detained by Emirati intelligence agencies in Dubai in 2018 and later extradited to Pakistan. His family claims he has been missing since.
The protest was joined by other families of missing persons and political activists. Participants carried photographs of their missing loved ones and banners, chanting slogans against enforced disappearances and what they described as the “genocide of the Baloch people.”
Hussain’s mother spoke at the rally, saying her son had been living in self-exile in the United Arab Emirates, where he worked as a laborer. She claimed that he was abducted by Emirati forces and handed over to Pakistani authorities.
“We have knocked on every door seeking justice—from human rights organizations to courts and the commission for missing persons—but everywhere we go, we are met with despair,” she said.
According to his family, Hussain fled Pakistan due to safety concerns following attacks and the killings of several relatives. He sought asylum in the UAE, where he worked as a laborer.
However, he was reportedly detained by UAE authorities, held incommunicado for six months, and then extradited to Pakistan.
Initial reports from Pakistani media and officials confirmed his arrest and deportation, but many of these statements have since been retracted.
The family also expressed frustration over the Islamabad High Court’s repeated postponements of their case, alleging that instead of receiving justice, they have faced harassment and dismissal of their case by several Pakistani courts.
They appealed to human rights organizations and the international community to pressure the Pakistani government to provide information on Hussain’s whereabouts and secure his release.