Family members and residents in Turbat, the main city of Balochistan’s Kech district, staged a sit-in protest on the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) highway following the alleged enforced disappearance of Yawar Habib s/o Habib Baloch outside Turbat High Court by unidentified men.
According to eyewitnesses and family members, Yawar was abducted on the afternoon of June 16 from outside the Turbat High Court, where he had accompanied his father for a legal hearing. Witnesses reported that unidentified men forced him into a vehicle and drove away.
Family members stated that this is not the first time Yawar has been subjected to enforced disappearance. He was allegedly disappeared once before and later released.
In response to the incident, the family and residents blocked the highway at the Shapak area, disrupting traffic on the busy CPEC route. The demonstrators demanded Yawar’s immediate and safe recovery and called for concrete action to prevent further disappearances in the region.
Speaking at the protest, demonstrators described enforced disappearances as gross human rights violations and urged both the government and human rights organizations to intervene. They said the silence and inaction surrounding such incidents have only emboldened those responsible.