Relatives of missing persons and Baloch political activists have been staging sit-ins outside press clubs in major cities for several days, calling for justice and accountability.
According to reports, protests are ongoing against alleged enforced disappearances of Baloch youth from Karachi, the arrest of political activists in Balochistan, the lack of justice for victims, the recovery of missing persons, and the killing of a young Baloch man.
In Islamabad, a long-running sit-in against political arrests and enforced disappearances reached its 25th day today. Participants allege that police harassment and obstruction have continued throughout the protest.
Families present at the Islamabad demonstration said that, despite 25 days of protest, no government representative has met with them. They criticised what they see as a reluctance by authorities to engage with peaceful demonstrators, contrasting it with what they describe as swift negotiations and even financial compensation offered in cases involving violent protesters.
In Karachi, the family of Zahid Ali Baloch, a student reportedly subjected to enforced disappearance, has been holding a sit-in outside the Karachi Press Club for the fifth consecutive day, demanding his safe return.
Meanwhile in Quetta, the mother of Ehsan Shah, who was killed earlier this year in a shooting allegedly involving Pakistani security forces, has been protesting outside the Quetta Press Club for the past five days. She is demanding the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for her son’s death. Despite an FIR being registered, no arrests have been reported to date.
The protest camp of the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) marked its 5,905th day today. VBMP Chairman Nasrullah Baloch claimed that efforts to recover missing persons have stalled, and the state institutions have intensified enforced disappearances and extra-judicial killings in Balochistan under the pretext of national security.
He criticised both federal and provincial governments, as well as judicial and investigative bodies, for what he described as a failure to fulfil their constitutional duties. This, he said, has eroded public trust in these institutions and worsened the situation in Balochistan.
Nasrullah Baloch urged the government and heads of state institutions to address the issue seriously, refrain from the use of force and extra-legal measures in Balochistan, and act in accordance with national laws. He called for the immediate recovery of missing persons, the presentation in court of those facing allegations, an end to extra-judicial killings, and the resolution of enforced disappearance cases within the legal framework to restore a sense of security among the people of Balochistan.