Balochistan: Families stage protest against enforced disappearances of Zaman Jan, Abul Hasan

Families and loved ones of abducted individuals staged a protest on Tuesday on the M-8 CPEC highway in the Hoshab area of Kech district, Balochistan for the immediate release of the victims.

The Balochistan Post identified the abducted individuals as Zaman Jan and Abul Hasan, whose family was on a sit-in protest against their enforced disappearance. The road was closed, leading to long lines of vehicles on either side.

Reports indicate that Zaman Jan, son of Sipahan Jan, and Abul Hasan, son of Rahmat, were forcibly disappeared on December 16 this month along with Altaf, son of Bahram, who was subsequently released. A sit-in commenced on Tuesday, with the families calling for the immediate return of Zaman Jan and Abul Hasan.

According to the Balochistan Post, the families reported that the three-day grace period they set during a press conference on December 20 has ended, with no response or updates about the missing individuals. They claim that District Council Chairman Mir Hothman had invited their relatives to his house, where they subsequently forcibly disappeared.

One of the relatives expressed grief and stated, “We gave a three-day ultimatum in our press conference. Still, no information has been provided about our loved ones. If they are not recovered, the protest will continue,” the Balochistan Post reported.

The families have urged the public to support their sit-in, pledging to keep the roadblock on CPEC Road in Hoshab in place until Zaman Jan and Abul Hasan are safely returned.

Earlier, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee lamented the enforced disappearances of these individuals and stated, “We firmly support the family members of the forcibly disappeared and stand by their three-day deadline for action. We urge civil society, the judiciary, and people from all walks of life to stand in solidarity with the families of the forcibly disappeared.”