Islamabad [Pakistan], February 11 (ANI): Baloch activist Mahrang Baloch has alleged that families of missing persons who participated in the march are being forcibly disappeared by the state and termed it a “cruel act of targeting families of victims to sabotage their struggle.”
She mentioned that the whereabouts of Gulkhan Shikari, his son Miran Shikari, and Zahid son of Aktar Muhammad, remain unknown since their abduction on February 7, 2024. She urged human rights organisations to speak out against state barbarism.
In a post on X, Mahrang Baloch stated, “The families of Baloch missing persons who participated in the march are being forcibly disappeared by the state, a cruel act of targeting victim families to sabotage their struggle.”
“The whereabouts of Gulkhan Shikari, his son Miran Shikari, and Zahid son of Aktar Muhammad remain unknown since their abduction on February 7, 2024. They joined march for the release of Nawab Imran and Najeeb Baloch. Their lives are in grave danger. We urge human rights organisations to speak out against state barbarism,” she added.
https://twitter.com/MahrangBaloch_/status/1756590229895475551
Earlier on February 5, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee held a press conference at Civil Hospital Quetta, condemning the alleged fake encounters of missing persons. Present at the conference were family members of the victims, joining the call for justice.
Speaking to reporters, Mahrang Baloch spoke about the disturbing trend of extrajudicial killings. She emphasised that despite peaceful demands voiced during the Long March, the Pakistani authorities refused to address the concerns of the families of missing persons.
Expressing her disappointment Baloch stated, “The state persists in its cruel and oppressive policies towards Balochistan.” In the press conference, Mahrang challenged the narrative propagated by Pakistani forces and agencies during extrajudicial killings in Balochistan.Often citing terrorism as justification, she noted that the state lacked evidence to support these allegations.
“The state is committing inhumane acts by justifying the actions of armed men. The false narrative of missing persons being in the mountains is a cover for the ongoing Baloch genocide,” Mahrang asserted, expressing her anger against the Pakistani establishment.
In the aftermath of the recent Mach incident, Mahrang stated, “The bodies of five people have been brought in, with four identified by relatives who were previously forcibly disappeared by state agencies. Concerns remain regarding the fifth body, raising fears of another victim of enforced disappearance.”
Baloch activists have been urging international authorities to intervene in the ongoing genocide of their community members. Activists have been calling for a fact-finding mission led by the United Nations Working Group to investigate the matter thoroughly.
Earlier in December, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) had organised a massive long march to raise their voice against the issue of enforced disappearances. This long march had witnessed massive participation from every corner of Balochistan. The march had started in Turbat, reached Quetta, and eventually ended in Islamabad.
On January 23, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) announced ending their sit-in outside the National Press Club (NPC) in Islamabad against enforced disappearances, Pakistan-based The News International reported. At that time, Mahrang Baloch said they will head back to Balochistan with pain, suffering and anti-Baloch attitudes of Islamabad.
The decision of Baloch Yakjehti Committee came a day after NPC Islamabad registered a complaint with the Kohsar Police Station on Monday requesting to remove the Baloch protesters from the open park in front of the NPC.
At that time, Mahrang Baloch in a post on X stated, “Tomorrow we are going back to Balochistan from Islamabad with pain, suffering and anti-Baloch attitudes of Islamabad. We will reach our land and convey the stories of Islamabad from the Singlakh mountains of Balochistan to the blue sea.”
“Now our morale and courage have increased, and we will now take this movement to the homes of Balochistan with our powerful morale. It is our promise to our people and the land that we will defeat this imperialist system from our land with the power of the people,” she added.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) had shown support for the Baloch sit-in that had been carried out in Islamabad since December 20, 2023.
In a post shared on X, HRCP stated, “HRCP stands in solidarity with the ongoing Baloch camp led by women against enforced disappearances that has faced persistent harassment from local law enforcement, as well as dismissal from government authorities.”
“We are also deeply concerned by efforts to uproot the camp–this violates not only the Islamabad High Court’s order that the camp remain undisturbed, but also the protestors’ right to peacefully assemble. The validity of the Baloch protestors’ demands cannot continue to be ignored, and must be heeded with the legitimacy it deserves, not with undue force or defamation,” it added. (ANI)
