The sit-in protest by families of Baloch missing persons, demanding the recovery of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leaders and an end to enforced disappearances in Balochistan, completed its eighth consecutive day in the federal capital on Wednesday
Despite persistent rainfall and worsening weather conditions, the demonstrators, including women, children, and elderly individuals, continue their peaceful protest. However, authorities have yet to grant them permission to set up a proper protest camp in front of the National Press Club, leaving them exposed to the elements and facing severe difficulties.
The protest is taking place near the National Press Club, but key roads in the area have been sealed off by the Islamabad police. Additional routes surrounding the demonstration site have also been blocked, further restricting access and visibility.
According to the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, state authorities are allegedly using buses to physically block the view of the protest in an effort to keep it out of public sight. BYC claims this is part of a deliberate attempt to prevent the residents of Islamabad from witnessing the peaceful struggle for justice.
In a statement, BYC criticised the government’s response, describing it as rooted in “fear, silence, and the suppression of oppressed voices.” The group condemned what it called blatant human rights violations and called for national attention to the issue.
“We urge all citizens, journalists, human rights activists, and organisations to stand in solidarity with the families sitting in the capital for justice,” the BYC said.
The sit-in is the latest in a series of protests calling attention to enforced disappearances in Balochistan, a long-standing and deeply sensitive human rights issue. Despite repeated assurances from authorities, little progress has been made in addressing the grievances of affected families, many of whom have spent years seeking answers about the whereabouts of their loved ones.