Balochistan: Protest Against Enforced Disappearances in Hub

QUETTA: The relatives of Baloch Missing Persons staged a protest on the main Karachi-Quetta highway in Hub Chowki, demanding the recovery of their loved ones who have been forcibly disappeared.

The protestors blocked the highway at the Bhawani area, bringing traffic to a standstill and disrupting the land connection between major cities, including Karachi, Quetta, and Gwadar for at least eight hours.

The protest is focused on the case of two brothers Junaid Hamid and Yasir Hamid, who have been missing for the past four months. Their family said that the brothers are in the illegal custody of state institutions.

Yasir and Junaid’s sister, Yasmeen Hamid, told reporters that her brothers have not been informed of any charges against them, and their whereabouts remain unknown.

“My brothers are labourers with no involvement in politics or illegal activities. Their forced disappearance is a blatant violation of the law and the constitution,” Yasmeen said, adding that the family had received no information about the reasons for their detention.

The protest also highlights the case of Chakir Bugti, another individual forcibly disappeared from Hub Chowki area of Balochistan in November 2024. The demonstrators have demanded the immediate recovery of all missing persons and an end to the ongoing practice of enforced disappearances, which they describe as a gross violation of human rights.

In response to the protest, local authorities sent a delegation to engage with the demonstrators, urging them to reopen the blocked highway. However, the protestors have stated they will continue their demonstration indefinitely until their loved ones are returned.