You may count your days, but when it comes to counting our people, the task becomes daunting
Karachi: Baloch countless families are gripped by the harrowing reality of having two or even three of their loved ones abducted, their lives forever altered. On October 4, 2023, these families, under the scorching sun, gathered from the Art Council to the Karachi Press Club, each bearing placards that conveyed their profound sadness. Their unified protest was a resounding cry against enforced disappearances, as they demanded the release of their abducted family members.
This protest marked a grim anniversary, the seventh year since Shabir Baloch’s abduction on the same day in 2016 from the Gwarkp area of Turbat, Balochistan. Shabir’s family, like many others, has tirelessly protested for his release over the years, yet their efforts have amounted to nothing.
Enforced disappearances are a grave issue in Pakistan, affecting the country such as Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Sindh, where dissenting voices often vanish without a trace. Balochistan, in particular, bears the brunt of this crisis, with Baloch activists and students regularly finding themselves in harm’s way.
While the Pakistani government provides conservative figures on missing persons, the true numbers are far higher.
The system is yours, why aren’t Abducted Balochs to the court?
Mazehib Baloch, a young girl, holds a picture of her missing family member, a name on the long list of enforced disappearances. She reflects on the agonizing question that plagues the Baloch people: What is their crime? Is it merely being Baloch? She laments that even Balochs seeking education are unsafe within educational institutions.
“Balochs are not safe anywhere in the state,” she asserts.
Sammi Baloch, is an activist and the victim of enforced disappearances, speaks of her painful journey searching for her disappeared father, Dr. Dean Mohammad Baloch, who was picked up by security personnel. For over a decade, Sammi has sought answers to the question of her father’s whereabouts. Her suffering has transformed her into a spokesperson for the missing persons’ cause, allowing her to articulate the injustice and pain inflicted by the state.
Sammi criticizes political parties, highlighting their selective attention to the issue of Baloch missing persons, only acknowledging it when elections are imminent. She challenges the state to label them as terrorists if they wish but demands access to courts to ensure justice is served.
“Farishtas, Angels, she points to key institutes, become invisible during the day, and at night, they appear and steal Baloch mothers’ children.”
Saeeda Baloch, another victim of abduction, expresses her anger differently. She believes that those responsible should experience the same pain as the families of the disappeared. She curses those responsible, wishing that they endure the suffering that they have inflicted upon Baloch families.
She also criticizes human rights organizations, asserting that they need to learn what human rights truly mean from the Baloch people, as they have failed to adequately address human rights violations in the province.
Despite their different voices and stories, the victims share the same sorrow, with different names and dates of abductions.
Hameeda Zehri Baloch’s father was abducted two years ago, and she, along with her little sister and brother, including her mother, has been tirelessly protesting for his release. Her tears reveal the impact of the state actions on the childhood of her siblings.
Seema Baloch, a sister of Shabir Baloch, calls upon the Chief Justice of Pakistan to pay attention to the cases of Baloch mothers and sisters whose sons and brothers have been picked up.
Abdul Wahab Baloch, a deputy organizer of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, challenges the caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar’s claim in BBC Urdu’s interview that a sub-committee of the United Nations estimated around 50 cases of enforced disappearances in Balochistan. He demands that if there are indeed 50 missing persons, they should be presented in court.
The Voice of Balochistan Missing Persons documents data on six thousand missing persons.
Aamna Baloch, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee organizer, criticizes state policies and believes that the state has given Baloch people three things: fake encounters, bomb blasts, and abductions, in exchange for their natural resources. She highlights media double standards, exemplified by the case of abducted journalist Imran Riaz Khan.
Aamna questions why the media selectively covers missing persons and emphasizes that every missing person deserves attention. She challenges society to count the days of the long-standing cases like Dr. Dean Mohammad Baloch and Shabir Baloch to acknowledge the widespread problem of enforced disappearances.
A recent bomb blast in Mastung, which claimed more than lives, is attributed to the state’s policies, Taliban and Daesh have found sanctuary in Pakistan.
It is your Punjabi citizens who remarked on blast in Mastung that it is not RAW, instead, it is Raw-alpandi,” she said.
Shaista Baloch approached this reporter and requested to take a photo of her holding a picture of a missing loved one. She held hope that her message would reach the government through this image.
After seven years of waiting, Zareena Baloch, the wife of Shabir Baloch, tearfully pleads with the state to tell her whether she is a widow or still married. Her question remains unanswered, and her voice is filled with grief and despair.
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