Families in Turbat Protest for Missing Loved Ones in Balochistan

In Turbat, Balochistan, families have been gathering every day for the past week, holding pictures of their missing relatives and pleading for their safe return. This sit-in has drawn widespread attention and solidarity from across Balochistan and beyond.

Baloch Yakjehti Committee’s Statement

The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) posted on X, stating, “The sit-in protest in Turbat city has continued for the past seven days. The families of forcibly disappeared Baloch individuals have been protesting in the scorching weather of Turbat for their missing loved ones. Enforced disappearances remain one of the manifestations of the Baloch genocide by the state.”

The BYC denounced the state’s alleged efforts to harm individuals who have been forcibly disappeared and to inflict psychological anguish upon their families. They argued that these actions are intended to undermine Baloch society through oppressive tactics, which they classified as grave violations of human rights.

Human Rights Concerns

The issue of enforced disappearances in Balochistan remains a deeply troubling and longstanding human rights concern, drawing international attention due to its humanitarian impact and implications for regional stability. Enforced disappearances occur when individuals are arrested, detained, or abducted by state authorities or their agents, often without any legal process or acknowledgment of their whereabouts.

The practice of enforced disappearances has been linked primarily to government security forces and intelligence agencies. The targets are often activists, journalists, students, and anyone perceived as challenging state authority or advocating for Baloch rights and autonomy. Once they disappear, individuals are frequently held in undisclosed locations, where they are reportedly subjected to torture, inhumane treatment, and sometimes extrajudicial execution.