Balochistan: Families of Abducted Await Their Loved Ones

QUETTA: Sadaf Amir, daughter of missing Amir Bakhsh Baloch, in a media statement said that her father has been missing from Kalanch since August 4, 2014. She criticized the media, adding that mainstream outlets have completely blacked out the families of the missing persons in Balochistan.

“At present, not only Balochistan but the country’s biggest problem is disappearances. Thousands of people are missing. Their whereabouts and well-being are unknown, but the mainstream media, judiciary, and parliamentarians fail to address such urgent issues,” she added.

She mentioned that if a woman MPA’s purse goes missing, the law comes into action, yet the disappearance of thousands of people is treated as a joke, which is a tragedy. Despite her repeated appeals for the recovery of her father Amir Bakhsh and to end her agony, her cries fell on deaf ears. She emphasized that the issue of disappearances is a human issue, particularly affecting the survival of the Baloch nation.

Every home and every family is living with this pain. One such family is that of Saira and Sadia, whose three family members are missing. Their loved ones, Rashid and Asif, have been missing for six years, while Salman has been missing for a year and a half. The judiciary and the Commission for Recovery of Abducted Persons are unable to address this issue, and no institution is taking serious steps.

Therefore, the Baloch Voice for Justice has announced a campaign on social media platform X on May 24 for the recovery of Rashid, Asif, and Salman.

Meanwhile, Bibi Zeba, a resident of Apsar Turbat, said that it has been more than a month since her son Sajid, son of Akbar, was called by a man named Zakir Rauf and has not been seen since. Now Zakir refuses to tell them anything about him, and the family is concerned about his whereabouts and well-being.

She added that she comes from a poor family, which is why Zakir has been continuously pressuring her family to hand over Sajid. Zakir claimed the government has reservations about him. She complained that her house was raided several times and her younger son was subjected to unnecessary torture. Due to this mental and physical torture, they handed Sajid Akbar over to Zakir Rauf upon his assurance that Sajid would only be asked some questions and then returned to the family.

However, it has been more than a month, and Sajid Akbar has not returned. Zakir is now refusing to provide any information about him.

Separately, the families of the abducted Inayatullah Banglazai and Abdul Fateh Banglazai organized a press conference at the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons camp in Quetta. They said that on May 23, 2014, officers from the FC and other security agencies took Inayatullah Banglazai, Abdul Fatah Banglazai, and Basham from the Ispelinji area of Mastung, Balochistan. The next day, on May 24, 2014, Pakistani forces released news in print and electronic media that Inayatullah Banglazai, Abdul Fatah Banglazai, and Basham were detained during an operation in Spelenji. Basham was later released, but Inayatullah and Abdul Fatah have been in the custody of the security agencies for the past ten years.

They presented irrefutable evidence of the abduction of Inayatullah and Abdul Fatah before the commission, which issued a production order for them. The security agencies were instructed to present Inayatullah Banglazai and Abdul Fatah Banglazai before the commission. However, despite the production order, they have not been presented, nor have the families received any information about their missing loved ones, causing severe mental agony.

During this time, Inayatullah Banglazai’s mother and Abdul Fatah Banglazai’s parents passed away due to the grief of separation and absence of their beloved sons. Their families continue to live in agony due to the forced disappearances.

They urged the Pakistani security agencies, judiciary, and other institutions to play their role in the recovery and safe release of their loved ones.

Lately, Pakistani forces have intensified military offensives, killings of previously abducted people in fake encounters and enforced disappearances across Balochistan. Baloch human rights groups and activists estimate the number of abducted people in the thousands, with their families continuing to wait for the release of their loved ones.