In a press conference held Thursday at the protest camp outside Quetta Press Club, women from Awaran district voiced their concerns over the forced disappearance of Dr Abdul Hayee Baloch, a healthcare worker abducted on June 1.
According to family members, Dr Abdul, an Operation Theater Assistant, was taken by individuals wearing Frontier Corps (FC) uniforms while on duty in Awaran Nondadah. Despite 32 days passing since the incident, he has not been presented in any court, raising alarm among his relatives.
“Abdul Hai was the sole breadwinner for our family,” a spokesperson said. “His disappearance has left us in dire straits.”
The protesters highlighted a pattern of such incidents in Awaran, that civilians are frequently abducted, tortured, and either released with mental trauma or killed extrajudicially under false pretenses.
Family members expressed frustration with local authorities, including police and civil administration, accusing them of offering only hollow consolations. They appealed to journalists and human rights organizations to assist in locating Dr Abdul, emphasizing fears for his safety.
This case adds to the ongoing issue surrounding the human rights in Pak-occupied-Balochistan, a region that the Pakistan Army has maintained a forceful occupation since 1948 by, employing tactics such as enforced disappearances, marginalization, and extrajudicial killings to suppress the local Baloch community.