VBMP Protest Against Enforced Disappearances Marks 5720th Day in Quetta

QUETTA: The Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) continued its protest camp in front of the Quetta Press Club today, marking the 5720th consecutive day of demonstrations against the ongoing enforced disappearances in Balochistan.

During the protest, Naveed Ahmad, the brother of the disappeared Saeed Ahmad, and Hafiz Abdullah, the brother of the abducted Ghulam Mustafa, travelled from Mastung to visit the camp and record their protest against the disappearance of their loved ones.

Naveed Ahmad shared the painful story of his brother, Saeed Ahmad Shahwani, who was forcibly disappeared by Pakistani security forces on August 29, 2013, from Surgaz, Mastung. At the time, Saeed Ahmad was taken along with Hafiz Abdullah. While Hafiz Abdullah was released after five and a half years of captivity, Saeed Ahmad remains missing and is believed to still be in the custody of state agencies.

Naveed Ahmad explained, “It has been established at the commission level that my brother was taken by intelligence agencies. Despite this acknowledgment, we still have no information about his whereabouts, nor has he been recovered.”

Hafiz Abdullah also shared the story of his brother, Ghulam Mustafa, who was abducted in 2000. He explained that Mustafa was working as a government employee at the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) when the military was deployed there. One day after a dispute with a military officer, Ghulam Mustafa was abducted while on his way home after work in the Darengar area of Mastung.

Hafiz Abdullah emphasised that despite multiple appeals to the government, the commission, and the judiciary for justice, he has yet to receive any response or accountability.

“I have approached the government, the commission, and the judiciary multiple times seeking justice for my brother, but so far, I have faced nothing but silence,” Hafiz Abdullah said.

VBMP Chairman Nasrullah Baloch condemned the prolonged enforced disappearances of Saeed Ahmad Shahwani and Ghulam Mustafa. He called for their immediate recovery and highlighted the ongoing suffering of families affected by enforced disappearances in Balochistan.