For the past week, Balochistan’s Turbat has been a poignant scene of resilience and anguish. Every day, families gather under the scorching sun, holding pictures of their missing relatives and pleading for their safe return.

This sit-in has garnered widespread attention and solidarity from across Balochistan and beyond.

In a post on X, Baloch Yakjehti Committee stated, “The sit-in protest in Turbat city has continued for the past seven days. The families of forcibly disappeared Baloch individuals have been protesting in the scorching weather of Turbat for their missing loved ones. Enforced disappearances remain one of the manifestations of the Baloch genocide by the state.”

The sit-in protest in Turbat city has continued for the past seven days. The families of forcibly disappeared Baloch individuals have been protesting in the scorching weather of Turbat for their missing loved ones. Enforced disappearances remain one of the manifestations of the… pic.twitter.com/Pv5w7QTe8j

— Baloch Yakjehti Committee (@BalochYakjehtiC) June 23, 2024

The BYC denounced the state’s alleged efforts to harm individuals who have been forcibly disappeared and to inflict psychological anguish upon their families.

Further, it argued that these actions are intended to undermine Baloch society through oppressive tactics, which it classified as grave violations of human rights.

BYC stated, “With a clear intent to physically harm the forcibly disappeared individuals and psychologically disturb their families, the state is deliberately trying to destroy Baloch society with such oppressive practices, which is a crime and a violation of human rights.”

The BYC stressed that when individuals are subjected to enforced disappearances and their families later engage in peaceful protests, they experience feelings of abandonment, hopelessness, and despair.

BYC stated, “When an individual disappears, and later on, when their families protest peacefully, they are left abandoned, hopeless, and in despair. These entire circumstances constitute a single reality: the state is directly committing genocide against the Baloch people. Ignoring these families and not addressing their legitimate demands is a denial of the state’s brutal practices.”

The issue of enforced disappearances in Balochistan remains a deeply troubling and longstanding human rights concern, drawing international attention due to its humanitarian impact and implications for regional stability.

Enforced disappearances occur when individuals are arrested, detained, or abducted by state authorities or their agents, often without any legal process or acknowledgment of their whereabouts.

The practice of enforced disappearances has been linked primarily to government security forces and intelligence agencies.

The targets are often activists, journalists, students, and anyone perceived as challenging state authority or advocating for Baloch rights and autonomy. Once they disappear, individuals are frequently held in undisclosed locations, where they are reportedly subjected to torture, inhumane treatment, and sometimes extrajudicial execution.