Participants of Baloch missing persons protest arrested, tortured, threatened and released

ISLAMABAD: The families of disappeared persons from Balochistan headed by Chairman of Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) have been protesting in Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, for past eight days.  

After the initial protest in front of Islamabad Press club, they have shifted to D-Chowk where they set up their sit-in-protest demanding from Pakistan government to release their abducted loved ones.

So far, the negotiations between the protester and government representatives have yielded no result. The opposition leaders including Maryam Nawaz Sharif also visited the protest camp to ‘express her solidarity with the families.

The protester earlier said that they faced difficulties from the Islamabad Police while trying to reach the D-chowk as they marched from the Press Club toward their current sit-in-protest site.

As the rally was leaving the Islamabad Press Club and heading towards D-Chowk, Islamabad police intervened and tried to disperse the peaceful rally and protest of the family, but the family managed to reach D-Chowk by overcoming all obstacles.

Pakistani legislators PTM leader and Member of National Assembly Mohsin Dawar and BNP Senator and General Secretary Jahanzeb Jamaldini accompanied the family.

Also, a large number of PTM workers and members of civil society joined the rally to D-Chowk to express solidarity with the families of Baloch disappeared persons.

The protesters have been continuously reiterating that their sit-in at D-Chowk will continue till Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and other influential officials visit them and reassure them of the release of their loved ones.  

Nasrullah Baloch, Chairman of Voice for Baloch Missing Persons, Mohsin Dawar, Sammi Baloch daughter of missing Dr Deen Muhammad, Mother and Haseeba Qambrani sister of Hassan Qambrani and Hizbullah, fiance of Naseem Baloch Hani Gul Baloch, mother and Mahzaib Baloch niece of Rashid Hussain, Shabir Baloch’s sister Seema Baloch, Jahanzeb Baloch’s mother and others addressed the gathering.

Jahanzeb Baloch’s mother fainted due to grief of her beloved son disappearance. She was rushed to the hospital and given medical aid; however, she rejoined the protest after gaining conscious.

Voice for Baloch Missing Persons who organised the protest, the sit-in will continue until the recovery of their loved ones is assured.

It is to be remembered that the families of a missing person travelled to Islamabad after they were disappointed by the ‘judicial commission’ headed by Justice Javid Iqbal.

The families claimed that the judicial commission has failed to hear their plea and help them recover their disappeared loved one.

Meanwhile, on Thursday Sammi Baloch took on Twitter to report that nine people have been arrested by Pakistani forces for participating in a sit-in protest in Islamabad.

She said, ‘Nine of our friends who were present at the sit-in of the abducted people have been arrested and we have no contact with our several other colleagues. We are worried about them that they might have also been arrested.’

She added that they inquired from different police station about their friends but they were not provided with any satisfactory answers.  They, according to Sammi Baloch, have been informed that police vehicles have been sent toward the sit-in protest.

‘Are they going to arrest the rest of us (women and children as well)?’

Sammi Baloch has appealed to people of all walks everywhere to support their peaceful protest for the safe release of their loved ones.

‘Continue the social media campaigns as long as we are sitting and our issue is not resolved, she requested.

In a later tweet, Sammi Baloch confirmed that the arrested participants have been released.

‘They have been beaten up and threatened to change their route and do not go to the sit-in-protest or you’ll be arrested again,’ she said.

She also tweeted that, ‘Our colleagues have been badly beaten and threaten by police for participating in our protest. They are not just sabotaging our protest but the voice of justice.’