For the past ten days, various small and large cities across Balochistan have witnessed ongoing protests organized by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) under the banner “Breaking the Silence: Standing Against Enforced Disappearances.” The movement highlights the rising number of enforced disappearances in the region, particularly targeting Baloch students in Balochistan and Karachi by the Frontier Corps and the police’s Counter-Terrorism Department.
October 2024 has seen the highest number of disappearances this year, totaling 84 individuals. Among these, eight students from Karachi University were taken from the Bashir Village area of Karachi, and over thirty individuals have disappeared from the districts of Dera Bugti and Nushki.
To suppress political activists in Balochistan who campaign against enforced disappearances and state oppression, Pakistan’s National Counter Terrorism Authority has listed hundreds of Baloch political activists under the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act. This move is aimed at dissuading activists from continuing their struggle.
BYC leaders, such as Mahrang Baloch and Sibghatullah Shah Jee, who have been vocal against state repression, have also been added to this Anti-Terrorism watch list. This inclusion reflects the government’s lack of seriousness in addressing these issues.
The policies of Balochistan’s controversial government, led by the Pakistan People’s Party, are contributing to the worsening conditions in the region. Such measures are unlikely to halt the political movement against state oppression. The mass protests under the slogan “Breaking the Silence: Standing Against Enforced Disappearances” demonstrate that this resistance movement will persist with the same intensity in the future.