A protest was held in front of the Quetta Press Club on Sunday, demanding the immediate recovery of Ghani Baloch, who was allegedly forcibly disappeared two months ago near Khuzdar.
According to his family, Ghani Baloch was detained by Pakistani security forces on 25 May. Since then, there has been “no trace of our family’s guiding light,” they said, describing their situation as one of “heartbreak, grief, and helplessness.”
The protest rally was organized by Ghani Baloch’s family and attended by members of Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP), the National Democratic Party (NDP), and relatives of other forcibly disappeared individuals.
The family said that after Ghani’s disappearance, they attempted to file a First Information Report (FIR) at Khuzdar police station on 27 May. However, they claimed that the Station House Officer (SHO) “refused to register the complaint” and “did not even accept the written application.” The following day, they approached the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) but received “no cooperation.”
According to the family, petitions have since been submitted to both the Balochistan High Court and the Khuzdar Sessions Court. Yet, “no FIR has been registered, nor has any effective legal action been taken.”
In a statement, the National Democratic Party said that the enforced disappearance of Ghani Baloch, a politically conscious youth and party member, reflects an attempt by the state to “suppress Baloch political awareness.” The party claimed that such disappearances signal “a message that peaceful political struggle by Baloch people is not acceptable.”
Leaders of Voice for Baloch Missing Persons also condemned the incident, saying that “instead of ending enforced disappearances, the government is punishing peaceful activists for protesting.”
The protest concluded with a united demand for the immediate release of Ghani Baloch and all other missing persons, and a call to end the practice of enforced disappearances in the region.