The families and relatives of Baloch missing persons, along with supporters of the Baloch Yekjehti Committee (BYC), continued their sit-in protest for the second consecutive day outside the National Press Club in Islamabad. The demonstration is aimed at demanding the recovery of missing persons and the release of the recently arrested leaders of the BYC.
The protest has drawn participation from students, lawyers, and human rights activists who joined the sit-in to show solidarity with the families of the missing.
Despite announcing plans to set up a protest camp, the Islamabad administration did not permit the protesters to pitch tents. In defiance of this restriction, the families of the missing persons, along with other demonstrators, have persisted with their sit-in under open skies, enduring heavy rain over the past two days.
Protesters reported severe difficulties during the demonstration due to continuous rainfall, particularly affecting children, elderly participants, and women who have been sitting in harsh weather without shelter.
The sit-in is being led by members of the Baloch Yekjehti Committee and families of the forcibly disappeared. The relatives of the arrested BYC leaders are also taking part, protesting what they describe as Balochistan government’s indifference and the political victimization of BYC leadership.
Families of Baloch missing persons have long been demanding the safe recovery of their loved ones, many of whom have allegedly been subjected to enforced disappearances over the years.
The protestors have presented two primary demands to the government: the immediate release of the BYC leadership and an end to enforced disappearances and political arrests in Balochistan, with the recovery of all missing persons.