Protest Camp by Families of Missing Baloch Enters 38th Day in Karachi
KARACHI: A protest camp set up by the families of missing Baloch persons in Karachi has entered its 38th day, with relatives of the disappeared youths continuing their sit-in outside the Karachi Press Club. The protestors are demanding justice and the safe return of their loved ones who have been forcibly disappeared by Pakistani state institutions.
The protest camp has become a focal point for those affected by the ongoing issue of enforced disappearances in Balochistan. Parents and relatives of the missing individuals have been persistently calling for accountability from the government and state institutions, which they accuse of being complicit in these disappearances.
Abdul Hamid Baloch, the father of Zahid Ali Baloch, one of the missing youths, spoke to the media about his son’s abduction.
He stated that Zahid was taken at gunpoint without any charges being brought against him. “If my son is accused of any crime, he should be presented in court and a fair judicial process should be followed. However, secret and unconstitutional methods are unacceptable,” he said.
Abdul Hamid further stressed that his son was an innocent young man who had been supporting his entire family before being disappeared by state institutions, causing immense hardship to the family.
“The state’s responsibility is to protect the lives and property of its citizens. Instead, citizens are being abducted and forcibly disappeared, which is a clear violation of the law and the constitution,” Abdul Hamid said. He also questioned the legality of the abductions, stating, “If my son was taken merely because of his ‘Baloch’ identity, it reflects a double standard in the law, undermining the principle of justice in the country.”
Human rights activists have also raised alarms over the growing number of enforced disappearances in Karachi, particularly among Baloch youths. Several young men from different areas of Karachi, including Mairipur and Lal Bakkar Hawks Bay, have gone missing. Among those reported disappeared are Shiraz Baloch, Sialan Baloch, Sarfraz Baloch, Rameez Baloch, Raheem Bakhsh Baloch, and Rahman Baloch.
All of these youths come from lower and middle-class families, and their sudden disappearance has left their families in severe mental and emotional distress.
Activists have condemned these disappearances as a grave violation of human rights and an affront to the basic civil liberties guaranteed by the constitution. The protesters have called on the government and state authorities to immediately halt the practice of enforced disappearances and ensure that all missing persons are presented before the courts to face due process.
The ongoing protest camp has garnered significant attention, with increasing calls for justice from both local and international human rights groups. As the families continue their sit-in, they have vowed not to leave until their loved ones are safely returned or justice is served.
