Kharan police have filed an FIR against the families of missing persons who were protesting and blocking roads in demand for the recovery of their loved ones. The protest was held in the Kharan Red Zone, with demonstrators seeking the safe return of abducted individuals, including Obaidullah Tagapi, who was allegedly forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces.
According to the police, the protesters blocked traffic on Quetta Road by staging a sit-in around the Red Zone. An FIR was lodged against 10 individuals, including activists Aziz Akram, Asif Noor, and Muzaffar Baloch, for causing disruption by closing the road.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), which organized the protest, condemned the FIR, accusing the state of using violence to suppress the voices of the oppressed in Balochistan. The committee stated that the people of Balochistan have endured systemic “oppression” and “state brutality” for over seven decades. They added that as peaceful resistance grows, the state retaliates by listing activists under the Fourth Schedule or filing fabricated cases against them, attempting to keep the Baloch people politically marginalized.
BYC also emphasized that the protest held in Kharan was peaceful, and organized as part of their ongoing campaign, “Breaking the Silence: Standing Against Enforced Disappearances,” which aims to raise awareness and demand justice for the missing persons. The filing of the FIR, they argue, is a direct attempt by the state to silence legitimate calls for human rights and justice.
Meanwhile, the families of the missing persons, who continue their sit-in in the Kharan Red Zone, held a press conference giving the local administration a two-day deadline. They demanded serious efforts for the recovery of Obaidullah Tagapi and the withdrawal of the FIR against the protesters. The families warned that if their demands were not met within two days, they would take more drastic steps in response.
As the Baloch Yakjehti Committee’s campaign against enforced disappearances in Balochistan picks up steam, the Pakistani authorities continue to crack down on the organization and its leaders. The National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) recently added the names of BYC leaders Dr. Mahrang Baloch and Shah Ji Sibghatullah to the Fourth Schedule under the Anti-Terrorism Act. Including a name in the Fourth Schedule means that the person concerned as become a “proscribed” person. Several restrictions are placed on such an individual, such as passport embargo, freezing of bank accounts, and a ban on financial support, among other things.
The BYC condemned this act and accused the Pakistani state of misusing the anti-terrorism laws against political activists in Balochistan without providing any reasonable evidence against them. The BYC said that despite the crackdown, it remains committed to speaking up for the rights of the Baloch people.