In Islamabad, Baloch students held a protest rally demanding the release of their missing loved ones and an end to the impunity for forced disappearances.
The protest was organized by the Baloch Students Council Islamabad, a student organization that advocates for the rights of Baloch people in Pakistan. The rally was held in front of the Islamabad National Press Club, a symbol of press freedom in Pakistan.
The protest was attended by students, political activists, and human rights advocates from across Pakistan. The protesters carried placards with slogans such as “Release Saheel and Fasih Baloch!” and “Stop Forced Disappearances in Balochistan!”
Addressing the protest rally, the speakers said that all stakeholders and policymakers are present in Islamabad, and yet the injustice and unrest that has been going on in Pak-occupied-Balochistan for 70 years cannot be stopped. They also said that the Baloch people are tired of being treated as second-class citizens in their own country.
Islamabad Rally
The protesters demanded that the Pakistan Army immediately release all Baloch people who have been forcibly disappeared by Pakistan security forces. They also called for an end to the impunity for forced disappearances, and for the perpetrators of these crimes to be brought to justice.
The students emphasized that in Balochistan, enforced disappearances continue to occur. Initially, political workers and ordinary citizens went missing, followed by the abduction of students. Currently, the educated class of Baloch society is also being subjected to enforced disappearances, as individuals like Suhail and Faseeh remain missing. There have been attempts to abduct Fareed Baloch, who hails from Lahore. During the protest, a heavy police presence surrounded the demonstrators.
The protesters stated that when people in Pak-occupied Sindh and Pak-occupied-Balochistan take to the streets to demand the recovery of their loved ones, they are often targeted with violence or subjected to harassment by agencies. In Islamabad, when they voice their concerns, armed forces are deployed against them. In the end, it was questioned whether there is any way to engage in dialogue with the Baloch people, or if they too have been disappeared.
There are thousands of people who have been forcibly disappeared, and Pakistan Army is solely responsible for these disappearances. Pakistan-occupied-Balochistan have a long history of human rights abuses, including torture, extrajudicial killings, and enforced disappearances.