LONDON: A five-day sit-in by rights activists and relatives of a Baloch businessman, who went missing in 2020, culminated on Sunday outside the Prime Minister’s Office here.

Five days earlier, Salia Marri, the wife of the missing Baloch businessman Mir Taj Mohammad Sarparah, appealed in a video message for the release of all Baloch missing persons including her husband.

Ms Marri, who is the niece of Khair Bakhsh Marri, appealed to activists, political parties and journalists to join the sit-in outside 10 Downing Street which was held around the clock for five days.

In a video message recorded at the sit-in, Mr Sarparah’s daughter Ibrah Taj stated: “My father was forcibly disappeared on July 19, 2020 from Karachi. Till date his fate and whereabouts remain unknown. It has been more than three years and five months but still there is no news about him. Every household in Balochistan shares the same fate.

UN investigation sought

“I urge the British government and UN to investigate this matter and to take action against the perpetrators. Give us answers [as to] whether my father is alive.”

Ayesha Siddiqa, Khan of Kalat join five-day protest outside 10 Downing Street

The sit-in was joined by supporters of the recovery of Baloch missing persons, as well as prominent Baloch dissident/pro-independence leaders such as Hyrbyair Marri and Mir Suleiman Ahmedzai who holds the title of Khan of Kalat.

Writer and analyst Ayesha Siddiqa also joined the sit-in, saying it is wrong and cruel to pick up citizens and make them disappear.

“This is state terrorism which should end. The world and UN should take notice of this. Like international issues like Kashmir and Palestine, the cruelty in Balochistan should not be forgotten. Because of state mistreatment for years they [the Baloch] are hurt. This is a political issue being dealt with through cruelty and force, it is barbaric and should end.”

The Baloch missing persons issue in recent weeks has elicited an outcry in the international community, as a UK MP, some weeks earlier, called on the British government to pay attention to abductions and disappearances of Baloch persons in Pakistan.

Prominent youth climate activist Greta Thunberg also expressed solidarity with the families of Baloch missing persons, and tweeted about the detention and police action against peaceful protesters in Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2024