GWADAR: The members and supporters of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee took out a protest rally and staged a sit-in for the recovery of forcibly disappeared persons in Turbat, the district headquarters of Kech district, on Wednesday.

On the call of central leadership of BYC, a large number of political activists, supporters of BYC, women and family members of ‘missing persons’ gathered at Fida Mohammad Shaheed Chowk.

Carrying placards and banners inscribed with their demand for the recovery of ‘missing persons’, the protesters marched on various roads of Turbat town chanted slogans against the government. The marchers later gathered at Fida Shaheed Chowk, where they staged a sit-in blocking traffic on the main roads.

BYC leader Sibghatullah Shah strongly condemned the ongoing “enforced disappearance of political acti­vists, students and civil society members”. He said that enforced disappearances were not specific to Balochis­tan, but to other parts of the country. He said students were taken into custody from Karachi and other areas where they were studying. “Over 50 students were forcibly disappeared in October so far,” he claimed.

While their families were protesting in Turbat and other towns, there were reports of targeted killing of the ‘missing persons’ in Makran, he said.

Advocate Mehrab Khan Gichki and the sister of a missing person, Asad, also spoke on the occasion. She said her brother had been missing since 2014 from CGS colony and an FIR was lodged with the police, but no progress was made for his recovery.

“Protest is our right for the recovery of my brother. We are helpless but will continue our protest for the recovery of missing people.”

The sisters of missing Sohail Baloch, Iqbal Baloch, Attaullah Noor, Yasir Baloch, Abdul Malik Baloch and Hayat Sabzal also addressed the protesters and demanded their recovery. They said they did not want schools and hospitals but demand the release of their abducted relatives.

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2024