Family of Missing Baloch Youth Demands Recovery, Denounces Enforced Disappearance

SHAAL (QUETTA): The family of Zahid Baloch, a young rickshaw driver and recent university graduate, held a press conference on Tuesday at the Karachi Press Club, demanding urgent action following his enforced disappearance on July 17.

Zahid, a resident of Karachi’s Lyari neighbourhood, was abducted between 5:00 and 5:30 PM while waiting near his rickshaw for passengers—part of his daily routine.

According to his family, eyewitnesses saw plainclothes individuals forcibly take him and shove him into an unmarked vehicle. Since then, Zahid’s whereabouts remain unknown.

Speaking to reporters, Zahid’s father, Abdul Hameed Baloch, tearfully described his son as a peaceful, law-abiding citizen who had no ties to any unlawful activity. “He had just completed his degree in International Relations from the University of Karachi. He was our pride, and now he’s missing without a trace,” said Hameed.

Despite repeated efforts, the family says that local police refused to register a First Information Report (FIR), a legal prerequisite for initiating an investigation in Pakistan. “We are shattered not just by his disappearance, but by the silence of the institutions that are supposed to protect us,” Hameed added.

Zahid, the eldest in his family, was the primary breadwinner, supporting his parents and younger siblings by driving a rickshaw amid rising economic pressures.

At the press conference, the family called on the federal and provincial governments, judiciary and human rights organisations to intervene. They demanded an impartial investigation and immediate information about Zahid’s condition and location.

The case has intensified public concern over the issue of enforced disappearances in Pakistan—a practice widely criticised by human rights watchdogs.

Rights groups and civil society members present at the press conference echoed the family’s call, warning that such disappearances undermine rule of law and public trust in state institutions.

As the family awaits answers, their message remains clear: they want Zahid back—alive, safe, and with dignity.