Balochistan [Pakistan], October 27 (ANI): A protest demonstration took place in the Mand Balochabad region of Kech district, Balochistan, demanding the return of three men who are believed to have been forcibly disappeared following their alleged detention by the Pakistani military, The Balochistan Post (TBP) reported.
The missing individuals have been identified as Fahad, son of Usman; Hamood, son of Mohammad Jan; and Haroon, son of Mohammad. Residents claim that the three men were apprehended by Pakistani forces on the evening of October 23, and since then, their whereabouts have remained unknown.
Numerous families, including women and children, participated in the demonstration, holding banners and placards calling for the immediate release of the missing individuals. Protesters appealed to the government and higher authorities to ensure the safe return of those who have gone missing, according to TBP.
Enforced disappearances have long been a highly contentious issue in Balochistan, where families frequently accuse state security agencies of detaining individuals without charges. Over the past two decades, numerous protests and sit-ins have been organized across the province by families seeking information about their missing loved ones.
Local human rights organizations, such as the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP), have documented thousands of such cases, although official figures from the Pakistani government differ significantly. International human rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have repeatedly voiced concern over the issue, urging Pakistani authorities to investigate claims of enforced disappearances, ensure accountability, and end the practice of secret detentions, as cited by TBP.
Pakistani authorities, however, have consistently denied these allegations, asserting that many of the missing individuals have either joined insurgent groups or are living abroad.
Despite these denials, demonstrations by the families of the disappeared remain a common occurrence in Balochistan’s civic landscape, with activists emphasizing the need for justice, transparency, and adherence to the rule of law, TBP reported. (ANI)
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