It’s been twelve years since Baloch student leader Zakir Majeed Baloch was forcibly kidnapped and ‘disappeared’ by the Pakistani security forces. His crime? Well, Zakir Majeed Baloch was well read and had a thinking mind, which is a big crime in Pakistan-occupied Balochistan (POB). Any Baloch who talks about his rights is conveniently picked up by the Pakistani security forces or their proxies, who then joins the long list of ‘missing persons’.
Baloch student leader and former vice chairman of Baloch Student’s Organisation-Azad (BSO-Azad) Zakir Majeed Baloch was born in Khuzdar’s Gazgi village on April 22, 1983. His father’s name is Abdul Majeed Baloch. Zakir Majeed Baloch’s sister Farzana Majeed and his old mother have been struggling for his safe recovery since the last twelve years.
Zakir Majeed Baloch completed his intermediate studies at the Balochistan Residential College (BRC) Khuzdar and his bachelor’s degree in science at the Government Degree College in Khuzdar. At the time when Zakir was forcibly abducted he was a master’s student of English at the Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water and Marine Sciences (LUAWMS) at Uthal University. On 8th June 2009, the fateful day, he was traveling from Quetta to his hometown Khuzdar and while en route, he was abducted from district Mastung. Mastung is merely 47 kilometers from Quetta, the capital city of Balochistan. Zakir Majeed was abducted along with one of his friend Waheed Murad Dehwar, who was released later on. Zakir Majeed was kept in extrajudicial custody and till this day there’s no news about him.
Zakir Baloch played a vital role in the growth of political awareness among Baloch youth. He constantly spoke against Pakistani regime’s human rights violations in Balochistan. Zakir played a key role in spreading awareness amongst Baloch students about Pakistan’s “Kill-and-Dump” strategy which entailed kidnapping Baloch people, killing them in cold blood and dumping their dead bodies. Ironically, Zakir Majeed himself became a victim of this criminal policy of Pakistan.
Farzana Majeed, Zakir’s sister along with Mama Qadeer Baloch, Dr Deen Mohammad Baloch’s daughter Sammi Baloch and other victim families went on a train march from Quetta to Islamabad in 2011. The Missing Persons’ relatives had also set up a hunger strike camp in front of the Islamabad National Press Club. Twenty three people, including women and children, were part of this march.
Historical Long March in Balochistan
Families members of the Baloch people who had been ‘disappeared’ by Pakistani forces went on a long march in 2013 from Quetta to Karachi and then to Islamabad, braving the biting cold of winter months. The purpose of this long march was to share their grief with those in power and explain about their innocence.
Family and friends of Baloch ‘Missing Persons’ had walked through the coldest mountains of Balochistan, crossed the roads of Sindh under hot weather and had then reached Islamabad. But it was futile to hope for empathy from the perpetrators of crime. Passionate appeals of the Baloch fell on deaf ears in Islamabad. The Baloch families returned back to Balochistan duped by false promises of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
“My son Zakir Majeed Baloch has been missing for the last twelve years. We, together with the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) took the path of peaceful protest for the recovery of Zakir, but today, 12 years have passed and we have not been provided with any information regarding Zakir’s disappearance,” said Zakir Majeed’s mother, tears rolling down her eyes.
Zakir Majeed’s mother was also the former vice chairman of Baloch Student’s Organisation. She added that it is painful for a mother to endure twelve years of separation from her beloved son. “I am also one among the thousands of unfortunate mothers who has been waiting for her beloved son for 12 years. Thousands of mothers, sisters, daughters, sons, and fathers whose loved ones have been abducted and disappeared by Pakistani forces in Balochistan are grieving and petitioning for their loved ones’ return, but their cries for justice have gone unheard,” said Zakir Majid’s mother wiping the tears from her face.