In Panjgur, participants of a Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) protest were reportedly harassed, and a student was forcibly abducted during the demonstration. The protest, organized against the ongoing enforced disappearances in Balochistan, was held on Thursday.
According to Mahrang Baloch, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee leader and organizer, who shared details on social media platform X, a peaceful rally was held in Panjgur as part of the larger movement across Balochistan protesting enforced disappearances. During the protest, members of a state-backed death squad, allegedly supported by Pakistani intelligence agencies, harassed the demonstrators.
During the incident, Haseeb, a student participating in the rally, was reportedly abducted in broad daylight.
Mahrang Baloch condemned the incident, stating that those claiming to uphold democracy are complicit in the crimes committed by rogue forces in Balochistan.
This comes amid a sharp rise in enforced disappearances in Balochistan and other regions, including Karachi. Over 80 cases of enforced disappearances have been reported in October alone.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee has called for protests across Balochistan against these disappearances, with rallies previously held in Karachi, Hub, Khuzdar, and Turbat. During the Karachi protests, Sindh police allegedly arrested several demonstrators, while in Hub, authorities reportedly blocked access to Lasbela Press Club. Protests in Turbat and Khuzdar were also met with the suspension of mobile services.