Pakistan: Families of disappeared Baloch persons initiate long march from Buleda to Turbat

A long march was initiated by the families of enforcedly disappeared Baloch persons from Buleda, Zamuran to Turbat (Kech) on Sunday.

Kech district is in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. This district’s name was Turbat District which was changed to its even older name Kech District.

In a post on X, Baloch Yakjehti Committee, Baloch Yakjeheti Committee (BYC), a Baloch rights organization from Balochistan stated, “At Long March enforcedly disappeared Muslim Arif, Fida Mayar, Parveez Ghani, Jan Muhammad, Farooq Dad, Shehaq and Naseer Peer Bakhsh family members along with the other affected victims of enforcedly disappeared families are included.”

Further, the Baloch organisation urged Kech residents to take part in the protest and stand with affected families of enforcedly disappeared persons.

“Currently, the protest is ongoing in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s Office (DC Office) in Turbat. We request the Baloch nation, Especially the residents of district kech to be part of their struggle and stand with affected families of enforcedly disappeared persons,” the Baloch Yakjehti Committee added.

Recently, BYC stated that enforced disappearance cases are at a critical point, and the administration’s response of offering false promises to peaceful protestors is unacceptable. We outright reject these hollow assurances and demand the immediate release of the loved ones of protestors.”

The statement of the BYC informed that two sit-ins have been organized in Kech and Turbat against the incidents enforced in the area.

According to the statement, a student Naeem Rehmat, enrolled in the BA at the University of Turbat, was in his second semester when he forcibly disappeared on March 17, 2022. It has been over two years, and his whereabouts remain unknown, disrupting his education and causing deep distress to his family.

The victim’s family since then has organized several demonstrations and yet Rehmat has not been released, On 10th April 2024, the Day of Eid, his family staged a sit-in (Dharna) at the main route of CPEC in Shapuk, Kech. The sit-in protest then concluded when the Deputy Commissioner of Kech assured them of Naeem’s safe release within five days. However, Naeem’s whereabouts remain unknown, prompting his family to once again stage a sit-in at the CPEC Route in Shapuk.

Meanwhile, a sit-in Dharna continues in Turbat, led by the family of Uzair Baloch and Nawaz Baloch. Uzair, son of Haji Shambay, serves as a lecturer at Buleda Degree College and resides in Jusak, Turbat. He was forcibly disappeared by officials from his hometown on April 18, 2024. Similarly, Nawaz Baloch, a resident of Buleda Bit, also forcibly disappeared on the same night during a raid by security forces.

The Baloch Nation is not to remain silent when their loved ones have forcibly disappeared; instead, they must resist it. Together, we can fight against this oppression. Together, we can continue our struggle until the end of the Baloch Genocide.