E-Paper
Balochistan group raises against disappearance of people: ‘We are all prisoners’
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee has announced a major public seminar to protest against the ongoing disappearances and violence in Balochistan.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) has announced a mass public seminar to protest alleged enforced disappearances and state repression in Balochistan, saying the entire population is effectively living under siege.
“We are all prisoners,” the committee declared, calling on citizens to mobilise against decades of alleged systemic violence and injustice.
The gathering is scheduled to take place on Sunday at 4.30 pm at Shaheed Fida Chowk, Turbat. Citizens from Turbat, Dasht, Gwadar, and surrounding areas have been urged to participate in large numbers to raise a united voice against continued injustices.
“Every day, we are losing our youth and companions, being thrown into dungeons and prison cells far from their homeland. This situation is no longer hidden -- the pain and suffering of Baloch youth and the forced disappearances have become a part of our collective memory,” BYC wrote on X.
BYC urges Baloch people to fight for safety, dignity
The BYC urged unity and collective action, reminding the Baloch people that “history always favours resistance,” and encouraged them to unite for their safety, dignity, and justice on their land.
Thousands of Baloch men have gone missing, with many later found dead or never heard from again. The issue has drawn criticism from local and international human rights groups, yet the violence continues largely unchecked. Families of the disappeared continue to protest for justice, often facing intimidation, ANI reported.
The news agency added that these disappearances are part of a larger pattern of systematic repression, which includes military operations in civilian areas, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, and harassment of journalists.
It added that entire families have been devastated, and many women and children continue to lead long protest marches, hunger strikes, and sit-ins demanding the safe return of their loved ones.
In December 2023, a group of Baloch women made history by leading a march from Pakistan’s Balochistan province to Islamabad. Covering over 1,600 kilometers, it marked the first time women had spearheaded such a public demonstration in Pakistan, an unprecedented act in a largely conservative community.
