Balochistan: Families of disappeared Baloch demand the release of their loved ones

QUETTA: A large number of people gathered outside Quetta Press (QPC) in the capital of Pakistan occupied Balochistan to demand the safe release of their loved ones on Tuesday.

The mother of abducted Baloch student leader Zakir Majeed Baloch had appealed for the protest. Majeed was abducted by Pakistani forces on June 8, 2009, from the Parengabad area of Mastung Balochistan.

Majeed’s mother has appealed to the international organisations to play their role in the recovery of Baloch missing persons including her son.

The Vice-Chairman of Voice for Baloch Missing Persons Mama Qadeer and several other family members of disappeared Baloch including the family of Kabir Baloch, Hassan Qambrani, Hezbollah Qambrani, Ghulam Farooq, Zafarullah Bangalzai’s joined the protest to support the mother of Zakir Majeed Baloch.

The protesting women and children carried pictures and placards with slogans for the safe recovery of missing persons.

On this occasion, mother Zakir Majeed Baloch said that Zahid Kurd and other missing youths including my son should be released. ‘We have been suffering for years,’ she said adding that, ‘We have knocked on every door to recover our loved ones, but no one listens to our cries and pain.’

Addressing the protest, the speakers said that Article 73 of the Constitution and Human Rights of Pakistan are not enforced in Balochistan.

The issue of missing persons in Balochistan is the worst example of crimes against humanity, the speakers said.

They said that the simple demand of these mothers and sisters is that their loved ones who have been missing for years should be recovered and if they are accused of doing anything wrong, they should be present before the courts and punished according to the law of the land.