Quetta [Pakistan], September 16 (ANI): Three students were reportedly taken into custody by Pakistani security forces in the Mehnaz area of Buleda tehsil, Kech district, on September 13, again sparking concern over the persistent issue of enforced disappearances in Balochistan.
According to The Balochistan Post, eyewitnesses said the incident occurred around 10:30 am (local time), when Pakistan’s Frontier Corps personnel detained the students and transferred them to an undisclosed location.
Those allegedly subjected to disappearance were identified as 18-year-old Shehak, son of Nusratullah; 19-year-old Waseem, also son of Nusratullah; and 19-year-old Inayatullah, son of Dur Muhammad.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee condemned the detentions, calling for the immediate recovery of the missing students and demanding their presentation before a court of law. The organisation stressed that enforced disappearances amount to a violation of fundamental rights and pose grave consequences for Balochistan’s younger generation, The Balochistan Post reported.
The climate of fear has been further intensified by the recent case of Sher Khan Marri, a journalist from Kohlu, who was allegedly picked up by police and plainclothes personnel in Sibi.
His family maintains that he has been missing since the arrest, while colleagues note that he had been outspoken on social media about enforced disappearances. Human rights organisations and journalist unions have called for his immediate and safe recovery, adding to growing outrage over the state’s actions.
Separately, The Balochistan Post noted that the family of Mehr Gul Marri, a former Deputy Director of Agriculture, allegedly missing since 2015, staged a sit-in outside the Quetta Press Club. The relatives demanded his safe recovery, saying they had endured years of hardship due to his disappearance, which they attributed to security forces and intelligence agencies.
Meanwhile, the protest camp of Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP), also outside the Quetta Press Club, marked its 5,939th consecutive day. Families once again called for the release of their loved ones. As The Balochistan Post underlined, the VBMP demonstration has become a symbol of resistance against enforced disappearances that continue unabated in the province.
Pakistani authorities have not issued any statement on the Buleda incident or responded to the broader allegations of disappearances, The Balochistan Post added. (ANI)