For the fourth consecutive day, the family of Khudadad Baloch, a student who was reportedly ‘forcibly disappeared’ in Punjab, continues their protest demanding his safe return.
Khudadad Baloch, son of Siraj, hails from Tijaban, Turbat, and is a second-year pathology student at the Lab Sciences Department of Sargodha Medical College. Reports claim that on March 8, at 8:30 pm, he was taken by force in front of Al-Rasheed Hospital on Bahadur Shah road in Sargodha by four armed individuals who pushed him into a white Cultus car and sped away.
In the sweltering heat, Khudadad’s family and residents of Tijaban have been protesting, blocking the M8 Highway, with many women and children joining in.
At a press conference two days ago, Khudadad’s family voiced their shock and fear over his ‘enforced disappearance.’ They highlighted the distressing trend of Baloch students being detained far from home, where they seek education, creating a climate of fear and reluctance among parents to send their children away.
Persistent reports of enforced disappearances of Baloch students in various parts of Balochistan have now raised concerns about such incidents occurring in Punjab and other regions, where Baloch students face extrajudicial detention.
Political figures, community leaders, and activists have shown support for the protest demanding Khudadad’s safe return. Sibghatullah of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) expressed solidarity with Khudadad’s family, saying that the family has been protesting for four consecutive days in the holy month of Ramadan. He said the leaders of the ‘Islamic Republic’ need to be reminded that enforced disappearances are a punishable offense in Islam.
The protesters have called for Khudadad Baloch’s immediate release, warning that the demonstrations will escalate if he is not returned.