Families of Baloch missing persons and representatives of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) said in a press conference in Islamabad on Sunday that justice is absent in Balochistan and that even the courts appear powerless before state institutions.
Baloch families said they have been staging a sit-in in Islamabad for the past 54 days to demand an end to enforced disappearances and access to justice, but the state’s attitude remains “oppressive and non-transparent.”
They alleged that in Balochistan, state forces have been given free rein to commit atrocities against the people in broad daylight, with no effective oversight or accountability. The courts, which should serve as the last resort for justice, “themselves find they are powerless before these institutions,” they added.
The BYC also said that in the first eight months of 2025 alone, more than one thousand cases of enforced disappearances had been reported across Balochistan.
Speaking on the detention of its leadership, the organization alleged that the March Jaffar Express incident was used as a pretext to launch an “organized campaign” to target its leaders. They said no crime could be proven against them, yet they continue to be held in detention.
The BYC accused authorities of relying on the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law to keep leaders in custody, and said courts continue to approve remand extensions without demanding accountability from the CTD. Lawyers have repeatedly requested reports from earlier remands, but courts have “lacked the courage” to press the CTD, they said.
The group said dozens of cases have been registered against its leaders in the past two years based on peaceful protests and video statements, but only three cases have reached conclusion while more than thirty remain pending.
The BYC criticized the court for granting five more days of remand at a recent hearing despite earlier announcements that no further extensions would be given. The extension was approved, they said, on a public holiday, when lawyers and relatives were unable to attend due to road blockades.
Protesters asked how an ordinary Baloch, such as a shepherd, could hope for justice if even peaceful political activists are denied it.