Balochistan: Four previously abducted Baloch released

QUETTA: Pakistani security forces have released four previously missing Baloch persons who were whisked away in 2017 and 2015 and their whereabouts remained unknown until their release Tuesday 15 January.

According to details, at least four abducted previously abducted Baloch from different areas of Balochistan have returned to their homes yesterday, last night and Tuesday morning.

The latest released victims of enforced-disappearances have been named as Saddam Hussain Bangulzai Baloch, Shehzad Qambrani Baloch, Aamir Baloch and Salaam Shah.

Saddam Hussain Bangulzai was abducted on 5 August 2015 during a raid on his house.

His father and other family members have joined the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons protest camp in Quetta to demand his safe release.

Shahzad Qambrani Baloch was abducted in 2016 from his house in Quetta and has remained in the illegal custody of Pakistani security forces until his release on Monday evening.

Shahzad’s family has recorded their protest at VBMP’s protest camp in Quetta and have been demanding for his safe release.

Mr Qambrani is the nephew of Balochistan National Party – Mengal (BNP –Mengal)’s leader Dr Ali Ahmad Qambrani.

Aamir Baloch was abducted 2^nd February 2017 from his house in district Kharan Balochistan.

At the time his arrest Aamir was a second-year student a Polytechnic College in Quetta but was had gone to his hometown Kharan to spend holidays with his family.

Aamir Baloch’s family has also been at the forefront of the movement for the release of abducted Baloch.

His little sister Ansa Baloch has been very vocal to organise protests and encourage other families to join the protest camp of Voice for Baloch Missing Persons for the safe recovery of their loved ones.

Aamir Baloch’s cousin Ejaz Baloch was also abducted from Kharan but he is still missing and his whereabouts remain unknown.

The fourth person released on Tuesday has been named as Salaam Shah son of Ali Ahmad Shah resident of Mastung Balochistan.

He was also abducted five years and two months ago in [2014].

The voice for Baloch Missing Persons – VBMP has confirmed the release of all four persons and hoped that all other missing persons will also be released soon.

The Baloch political and human rights activists, however, raised questions about the perpetrators who are still at large and who have not been held accountable for abducting innocent people and keeping them incommunicado for several years.

It is noteworthy that the president of UN General Assembly, María Fernanda Espinosa, is due to visit Pakistan from 18 – 22 January and the Free Balochistan Movement has already announced to run a four-day Social Media Campaign to urge the President of UN GA to visit Balochistan and meet the families of enforced-disappeared Baloch.

The FBM has also urged the UN GA president to take the issue of missing persons with Pakistan rulers during her visit to the country.

It is pertinent to mention that Baloch pro-freedom political parties and Human Rights Activists say that Pakistani forces have abducted more than 20,000 people including women and children from Balochistan.

They also claim that more than 6,000 missing persons have already been killed in custody by Pakistani forces.

The Pakistani government official on their part has never had one clear position about enforced-disappearances in Balochistan.

However, most of the provincial government (representatives of Pakistan army in Balochistan) have always admitted that they have no power to resolve the missing person’s issue.

The analysts interpret the helplessness of provincial government as Balochistan directly being controlled by the military of Pakistan and hence they hold military responsible for human rights violations including enforced-disappearances.