The families of Abdul Lateef Bangulzai, Nooruddin Bangulzai, and Faheem Bangulzai have blocked the Quetta to Karachi highway near the Mastung Nawab Hotel, demanding the safe return of their loved ones who have been victims of enforced disappearances.
Abdul Lateef, son of Safar Khan, was forcibly disappeared on June 16, 2023 at an Isplinji Frontier Corps checkpoint while riding a motorcycle to attend a wedding. Nooruddin Bangulzai was forcibly disappeared on July 25, 2013, and his whereabouts have remained unknown since then. Faheem Bangulzai was forcibly disappeared on December 6, 2023.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee, an organisation involved in Baloch rights advocacy, has urged people from Mastung and nearby areas to support the families and speak out against the rise of enforced disappearances in the region.
Sadly, enforced disappearances have become increasingly common in Pakistan-occupied Balochistan, which has long suffered under Islamabad’s control since 1948. Despite the region’s rich resources, Balochistan has faced neglect and oppression from the Pak establishment.
In an effort to maintain power over Balochistan, the Pak Army has resorted to brutal tactics like enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and the abduction of Baloch youth and students. They are supporting the notorious death squads in the region.