Mahrang Baloch says 41 Baloch people forcibly disappeared, urges people to participate in protest sit-in

Baloch activist Mahrang Baloch has said that 41 Baloch people were forcibly disappeared on Tuesday, which includes Ashfaq Baloch, whose brother, Shahzad Baloch, was extrajudicially killed earlier in 2022.

She stated that the relatives of victims of enforced disappearances have blocked the Karachi-Quetta highway at three locations by holding sit-ins and urged people of Balochistan to ensure their participation in these sit-ins.

In a post on X, Mahrang Baloch stated, “The state of Pakistan has taken the final decision to eliminate the Baloch from Balochistan. Yesterday alone, 41 Baloch were forcibly disappeared, including Ashfaq Baloch, whose brother, Shahzad Baloch, was extrajudicially killed earlier in 2022. Against which the family, along with the BYC, staged a sit-in in Quetta Red Zone for 55 days. Currently, the relatives of the victims of enforced disappearances have blocked the Karachi-Quetta highway at three locations by staging sit-ins. I appeal to the Baloch nation to ensure their participation in these protest sit-ins.”

Earlier on Tuesday, demonstrators held their sit-in in the Surab district of Pakistan’s Balochistan for the fourth consecutive day, blocking the key China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) road in protest against enforced disappearances and alleged human rights violations in Balochistan, The Balochistan Post reported.

The protest, organised by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) Jhalawan region and the families of the missing persons, demanded justice and an end to systematic repression by the state. During a press conference held at the protest site, demonstrators accused security forces of forcibly disappearing Baloch youth, describing enforced disappearances as a state policy.

“Every day, another Baloch youth is taken away without any accountability. The state institutions are not only responsible for these abductions but are also using violence and intimidation to suppress voices that speak against this oppression,” The Balochistan Post quoted a protester as saying.

The protesters emphasised the presence of families of 12 individuals who have been forcibly disappeared, drawing attention to their plight. They also condemned the excessive use of force by authorities to break up the demonstration, claiming that security forces, including police, Levies, and Frontier Corps (FC) personnel, were deployed from across the Kalat Division to dismantle the sit-in.

Enforced disappearances of Baloch people in Pakistan have been a longstanding and alarming issue, particularly in Balochistan. The Baloch population, seeking greater autonomy and rights, has been targeted by state security forces, including the military and intelligence agencies.