Islamabad: Amid ongoing protests against Baloch genocide and enforced disappearances in Pakistan-occupied-Balochistan, families from Dera Ghazi Khan added their voices to the call for justice. They marched alongside Baloch activists in the capital, Islamabad, demanding the recovery of their loved ones who vanished at the hands of Pakistan Army.
Islamabad is currently witnessing fervent demonstrations as families and relatives of both Balochistan’s disappeared individuals and those missing at the hands of Pakistan Army in Dera Ghazi Khan join forces to amplify their collective voice. The primary objective of the protest is to draw attention to the urgent need for the recovery of the forcibly disappeared and to seek accountability for these troubling incidents.
One of the participants in the protest, Zulfiqar Ali, shared the heart-wrenching story of Sona Buzdar, who was forcibly disappeared on March 16, 2017, from the Zinda Pir area of Dera Ghazi Khan. Zulfiqar emphasized that despite the passage of time, Sona Buzdar’s whereabouts remain unknown, intensifying the anguish of the family.
The protest also sheds light on the disappearance of Muhammad Ijaz, son of Saeedullah Baloch, who vanished from Tonsa Sharif on September 23, 2023. Ijaz, a dispensary worker in Multan, disappeared after appearing for FSC exams. His family, grappling with uncertainty, disclosed that on the night of September 23rd, Ijaz left home for the clinic at 11 a.m. He was seen on CCTV footage going towards Chowk Hashim, but no trace of him has been found since.
The protest, a stark reminder of the human cost of enforced disappearances, adds another layer to the complex tapestry of Pakistan’s human rights struggles. The march began in response to the extrajudicial killing of Balach Mola Bakhsh by the Pak Army, sparking concerns about enforced disappearances and human rights abuses in Pak-occupied-Balochistan. As the families of Dera Ghazi Khan and Balochistan join forces, their shared grief becomes a powerful call for action, demanding that the Army listen and act with justice and transparency.