Islamabad authorities threaten to forcibly remove Baloch Missing Persons protest camp

ISLAMABAD: Families of enforced disappearances continue to sit on D-Chowk where the Islamabad administration and police have threatened the families of the disappeared to end the protest or their sit-in-camp will be forcibly removed.

Sami Baloch, daughter of Dr Din Muhammad Baloch who has been missing for 12 years, tweeted they have been threatened by the Assistant Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner Islamabad to end her sit-in protest.

 She wrote on Twitter, “We have (protesters) been threatened DC and AC Islamabad that if we do not end our protest, our camp will be forcibly removed from D-Chowk and we may be arrested.  If the state tries to forcibly end our peaceful sit-in and arrest our elderly women and children, we are all ready for that. But our demands remain unchanged.”

Earlier Nasrullah Baloch, Chairman Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) said that at least 20 youth were arrested by Islamabad police, tortured physically and mentally, and threatened not to visit sit-in-protest for release of Baloch missing persons.

“The police warned them, if they visit the join the protest again, they will be arrested,” Baloch said.

Meanwhile, the Baloch Solidarity Committee has organised a massive protest rally in Quetta to express their support and solidarity to the families of Baloch missing persons in Islamabad.

The BSC also announced more such rallies and demonstration in other cities of Balochistan. They urged Baloch people, human rights groups, civil society and people from all walks of life to come out in support of the aged mothers in Islamabad who have been sitting under the open sky for past nine days.

It may be recalled that different political party members and representatives have visited the protest camp to express their support to the protesters and urged the government to resolve the issue of enforced-disappearances.