Protests erupted in Balochistan’s Nushki district on Wednesday over the alleged enforced disappearance of Abdul Ghani Baloch, a writer, publisher, and political activist.
Women, children, and youth gathered outside the Nushki Press Club, holding banners and placards calling for his immediate release. Demonstrators chanted slogans against enforced disappearances and accused the state of targeting intellectual and political voices in Balochistan.
Abdul Ghani Baloch, a native of Nushki, is a former vice-chairman of the Baloch Students Action Committee (BSAC), an MPhil student of the Brahui language, and a member of the central organizing committee of the National Democratic Party (NDP). He was reportedly forcibly disappeared by Pakistani security forces on 25 May while travelling from Quetta to Karachi.
Since then, his whereabouts remain unknown.
At a press conference in Quetta on Tuesday, NDP leaders condemned his disappearance, calling it a “direct attack on freedom of expression and constitutional rights.”
“We are here today to speak about a matter that is extremely important, deeply concerning, and of constitutional significance,” said Salman Baloch, the party’s Central Deputy Organizer. “Our comrade Ghani Baloch has been forcibly disappeared. This is not just the disappearance of an individual—it is an attempt to silence a political voice, an attempt we will never accept.”
According to Salman Baloch, Ghani was detained near Khuzdar by state personnel, but no official record of his arrest has been made public.
“It has now been more than a week. There has been no confirmation of his arrest, no court appearance, and no communication with his family. This is a blatant violation of Article 10 and sub-clause 10-A of the Constitution of Pakistan,” he said.
The party said it had filed a constitutional petition in the Balochistan High Court demanding Ghani be produced before a judge or that his legal status be clarified. A separate case has also been filed in the Sessions Court in Khuzdar against the alleged perpetrators, calling for legal accountability.
“Ghani is not just a political worker. He is a scholar, a lover of books, and an intellectual leader who has worked tirelessly to raise awareness among Baloch youth,” Salman added. “His detention is an effort to suppress that voice.”
The party vowed to continue legal efforts, raise the issue through media and human rights forums, and protest until his release.