The sit-in protest along the CPEC route in Shapuk, Kech district, continues unabated, as the family of Naeem Rehmat, a forcibly disappeared student, refuses to end their demonstration until his safe release.
Naeem Rehmat, a second-semester student pursuing a BS Education degree at the University of Turbat, was forcibly disappeared on March 17, 2022. Over two years have passed, and his whereabouts remain unknown.
On April 10, 2024, the day of Eid, Naeem’s family staged a sit-in (Dharna) along the main CPEC route in Shapuk, demanding his immediate release. The puppet Deputy Commissioner of Turbat said that Naeem would be released within five days, however, the family has declined to end their protest, vowing to continue until he is safely returned.
Naeem’s mother’s health is deteriorating amid the ongoing struggle for justice. The Baloch Yakjahti Committee has appealed to the people across Shapuk and nearby areas to join the family’s sit-in and urged the Baloch Nation not to remain silent in the face of enforced disappearances.
Naeem’s case is not an isolated incident, as hundreds of Baloch students have faced similar fates of enforced disappearances, disrupting their education and causing immense distress to their families. Protests by families are often met with empty promises.
Enforced disappearances have become disturbingly frequent, with innocent Baloch youth and children becoming victims of this oppressive practice. In its efforts to maintain control over Pak-occupied Balochistan, the Pak Army has resorted to various oppressive tactics.
Pak-occupied Balochistan has long suffered under the unlawful control of Pakistan, dating back to 1948.