The family of Abdul Rehman Marri s/o Muhammad Baksh, who has been forcibly disappeared for nearly 11 years, has renewed its demand for his immediate recovery, as another case of an alleged enforced disappearance was reported from Quetta, highlighting the continued pattern of such incidents in Balochistan.
According to Abdul Rehman Marri’s family, he was first taken into custody on the morning of January 13, 2015, at around 9am, from the Hazarganji Marri Camp area of Quetta. He was held for one day at Sariab Police Station and was later released on a personal bond.
However, the family said that the very next day Abdul Rehman was called again by phone to report for further interrogation. When he went to Sariab Police Station as instructed, he was detained there for two more days. After that, he was taken away from the same police station and forcibly disappeared. Since then, no information has been provided to the family regarding his whereabouts, health, or even whether he is alive.
The family said that nearly 11 years have passed since his disappearance, during which they have endured severe mental and psychological distress. They maintained that if Abdul Rehman Marri had been accused of any crime, he should have been produced before a court in accordance with the Constitution and the law, rather than being disappeared.
Through the media, the family has strongly appealed to the government and state institutions to immediately bring Abdul Rehman Marri before the public. They demanded that if there are any allegations against him, they should be addressed through a transparent judicial process. The family stressed that the issue is not limited to a single individual or family but represents a serious human rights and constitutional crisis. “We want justice and the immediate recovery of Abdul Rehman Marri,” they said.
Meanwhile, another case of enforced disappearance has been reported from Quetta. According to local sources, Pakistani forces allegedly picked up Arsalan Shahwani s/o Haji Muhammad Yaqoob and a resident of Killi Choto, Mastung, from Airport Road in Quetta late Saturday night.
Sources said Arsalan Shahwani was working at a bakery factory in Quetta and was also residing there at the time of his disappearance. Following his detention, he was allegedly taken to an unknown location, and no information has since been provided to his family.
So far, authorities have not issued any official statement regarding Arsalan Shahwani’s disappearance.