Recently, Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind, the former provincial minister who lost the PB-12 seat for the provincial assembly in the most recent general elections, claimed that the Pak establishment was stealing his mandate. He claimed to be a “patriot” who wished to support his nation and its citizens and that he had never given up on the Baloch land and resources for personal benefit.

In a recent press conference held on Sunday, Rind said “The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has ‘selected’ its favourite candidates for positions,”. Rind questioned the necessity of holding elections if the results are already known. He said that many voters were denied the opportunity to cast their ballots because ECP staff showed up late to multiple polling places in the PB-12. He claimed that although he had been waiting for the results for the previous three days, his victory was turned into a defeat.

He stated that his voice had been muffled inside the Pak-occupied Balochistan assembly and that the Pak establishment had chosen to keep him out of the provincial assembly. He declared that his voice would now be heard throughout Balochistan and that he would not exchange the nation of Baloch resources for anything.

He declared that the situation in the province remained dire and criticized the Pak authorities for bringing in “Jamaloo and Kamaloo,” nicknames for Jamal Raisani and Jam Kamal Khan, the current and former favourites of their establishment in Pak-occupied Balochistan. He used the Mach incident as an illustration of the Baloch resistance, in which the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) took control of the city for two days and massacred numerous Pak Army.

He further showed his support for Mahrang Baloch and the families of the Baloch people who went missing, marching to Islamabad to demonstrate for their loved ones’ safe return. Speaking to those in his immediate vicinity, he said that it was their duty to raise more Mahrangs in their homes so that they could oppose the establishment and stand up for what was right. He expressed gratitude to his clan and supporters, claiming they had cast ballots for him but were deprived of their option.

It is noteworthy that Rind had informed her a few years prior that it was disgraceful for Baloch women to protest in public when Mahrang Baloch and other Bolan Medical College students were doing so on chilly winter nights in Quetta. In an unexpected change of events, Rind now admires Mahrang’s bravery and tenacity.

In a distressing turn of events, the families of Baloch missing persons who actively participated in a recent march are now facing the cruel reality of enforced disappearances orchestrated by the Pak Army. This sinister act aims to undermine the collective efforts of these victim families in their quest for justice and accountability.

The whereabouts of Gul Khan Shikari, Miran Shikari (his son), and Zahid, son of Aktar Muhammad, have remained unknown since their abduction on February 7, 2024. These individuals had joined the march advocating for the release of Nawab Imran and Najeeb Baloch. Their lives are currently in peril, and there is an urgent call for human rights organizations to condemn the barbaric actions of the Pak Army.

It is essential to highlight that in Pakistan-occupied Balochistan, instances of forced disappearances are alarmingly common and are reported daily. Among the recent victims of enforced disappearances are Majeed and Ajeem, a father and son wrongfully detained and disappeared by the Pak Army from Awaran and Mastung districts in Pakistan-occupied Balochistan.

Since the forcible occupation of their region by the Pak Army on March 27, 1948, the people of Pakistan-occupied Balochistan have been steadfastly resisting the atrocities and Baloch genocide perpetrated by the Army. These atrocities include frequent home invasions, disappearances, staged encounters, target killings, torture, humiliation at checkpoints, and kidnappings for ransom.