The family of Ghulam Hazrat, who was allegedly forcibly disappeared in Balochistan’s Dalbandin in 2018, held a press conference on Tuesday calling for his recovery and announced a protest rally on the first day of Eid.
Addressing the press conference, the family said Ghulam Hazrat was taken into custody on October 1, 2018, at around 5:00 p.m. from the Dano area of Dalbandin, after which his whereabouts have remained unknown.
They said they had pursued legal and administrative channels for the past eight years but had seen no progress in the case.
“We have approached every relevant institution, but no one has shown seriousness,” a family member said.
According to the family, they were summoned to Dalbandin Cantonment and later to Quetta, where they held meetings with officials, including the Deputy Commissioner of Kharan, while tribal elders also provided assurances.
However, they said no meaningful steps were taken to recover him.
The family demanded that if there are any allegations against Ghulam Hazrat, they should be made public “in accordance with the Constitution and the law,” adding that they are prepared to face any legal process.
They appealed to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and other national and international human rights organisations to take notice of the case and support efforts for his recovery.
It was also announced that a peaceful protest rally will be held in Dalbandin on the first day of Eid to demand his release.
“We ask the administration to grant us our constitutional right to peaceful protest,” the family said.
They also called on the public to participate in the rally “as a demonstration of humanity” and to raise their voice for a missing citizen.
Separately, the protest camp set up by Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) outside the Quetta Press Club has entered its 6,106th day, highlighting ongoing demands for the recovery of missing persons across Balochistan.
Families of the disappeared continue to visit the camp, including relatives of Saifullah, who was allegedly taken into custody in Quetta on March 12 and whose whereabouts remain unknown, according to his family.
VBMP Chairman Nasrullah Baloch said the organisation would raise such cases with authorities and relevant forums and called for the immediate recovery of all missing persons.
