Baloch student ends 46-day hunger strike

Published June 7, 2014
Lateef Johar. – File Photo
Lateef Johar. – File Photo

KARACHI: Lateef Johar, a student leader of Baloch Students Organisation-Azad (BSO-A) late on Friday ended his 46-day long hunger strike staged outside the Karachi Press Club in protest against enforced disappearance of his party chairman Zahid Baloch upon assurances given by an NGO.

Lateef Johar went on hunger strike on April 22 to protest against the alleged kidnapping of BSO-A chairman Zahid Baloch from Quetta’s Satellite Town in March. The student body alleges that intelligence agencies are behind the abduction. Johar, according to his doctor, had lost more 30 kilograms in the past few weeks.

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) had appealed Johar to end his protest and assured him that the group would raise the issue at the United Nations’s International Commission for Missing Persons (ICMP).


Also read: CM Malik fails to make student end hunger strike, pledges FIR


Speaking at a press conference, Navid Baseer and other AHRC officials assured the BSO-A office bearer that they will make all possible efforts for the safe recovery of Zahid Baloch.

Ayub Qureshi, Mama Qadir, Asad Iqbal Butt, Zulfiqar Shah, Mir Muhammad Ali Talpur and Bushra Khaliq were also present on the occasion.


Related: For Pakistan’s Baloch, ‘tomorrow, anything can happen’


The party will announce its further course of action in a press conference soon, said a press release issued by BSO-A senior vice chairperson Karima Baloch.

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