The mother of Baloch National Movement’s (BNM) missing leader Abdul Ghafoor Baloch passed away on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, after years of waiting for her missing son. Abdul Ghafoor, a former central committee member of BNM, was allegedly taken into custody by Pakistani forces on December 26, 2009, and has remained forcibly disappeared since then.
In a statement, the BNM spokesperson expressed deep sorrow over her passing and extended condolences to the grieving family. The statement described her death as part of the collective suffering of countless parents in Balochistan, who have spent years waiting for their disappeared loved ones without receiving any answers. It further stated that Abdul Ghafoor has been held in undisclosed conditions in Pakistani military custody for the past 15 years.
According to BNM, Abdul Ghafoor was forcibly disappeared for a second time in December 2009. He had previously been abducted and tortured but remained committed to the Baloch independence movement upon his release. His prolonged disappearance, the statement added, is a testament to Pakistan’s suppression of political dissent in Balochistan.
BNM reaffirmed its commitment to documenting state repression in Balochistan and presenting evidence to international organizations. The statement also mentioned other long-term disappeared BNM activists, including Dr. Deen Mohammad, Ramzan, and Hasil Hasrat, accusing Pakistan of using enforced disappearances as a tool to crush the Baloch nationalist movement.