In a tragic turn of events, the mother of Zaheer Baloch, a man missing for nine years, has passed away without ever seeing her son return. Zaheer Baloch was allegedly taken into custody by Pakistani security forces at Hub Chowki on April 13, 2015, while en route to Karachi from Panjgoor. He was forcibly removed from his bus and has not been seen since.
The phenomenon of ‘missing persons’ in Balochistan is a grave issue, with thousands of families affected. Many have waited years, some over a decade, for the return of their loved ones. The prolonged absence has led to numerous instances of elderly parents fainting during protests, holding photographs of their missing children, and pleading for their release. In several other instances, the elderly mothers and fathers of Baloch missing persons have passed away, longing to see their son one last time.
The families of these missing individuals urge the government to present their loved ones in court if they are accused of any crimes, rather than subjecting them to enforced disappearances and their families to what they describe as ‘collective punishment.’
Activists and human rights organizations attribute the enforced disappearances and other human rights abuses in Balochistan to the actions of Pakistani security forces.