QUETTA, BALOCHISTAN: The Baloch Students Action Committee (BSAC) has expressed concern over the continuing disappearance of two University of Balochistan students, Sohail Baloch and Faseeh Baloch, five years after they were forcibly taken from the university’s hostel compound in Quetta.
In a statement, the group said the situation in Balochistan is extremely fragile and that the most serious issue is that of missing Baloch persons. It said the number of such cases should have fallen but is rising by the day, and that the problem cannot be ignored.
The BSAC said the government has itself acknowledged enforced disappearances, citing the creation of the Commission of Inquiry as an example. But it said that neither the commission’s creation nor anything since has brought meaningful improvement. It said government institutions keep claiming that no such cases exist or that none will happen in the future, while no progress has been made on the two students despite the cases being acknowledged.
According to the statement, Sohail and Faseeh were forcibly taken from the university hostel on November 1, 2021, after which fellow students staged a peaceful sit-in demanding their immediate and safe release. The group said a committee of government members was formed soon afterward and persuaded the students to end the protest, assuring them the two would either be freed or produced in court within 30 days.
Five years later, the group said, there has been no progress. It said both men were students in the university’s Pakistan Studies department and that no information about them has been available since. It said the disappearance has caused severe mental anguish for their families and fellow students.
The BSAC said government members had promised their early release, but neither Sohail nor Faseeh has been freed and no concrete step has been taken. It said the families approached government institutions, the courts and the inquiry commission many times without being heard.
The group said such actions push Baloch students into mental distress and uncertainty. It said political repression, enforced disappearances and misuse of force are no solution to any problem and have no legal, constitutional or moral justification.
The BSAC appealed to government institutions and authorities to give the matter serious attention, find a meaningful solution, and ensure the immediate and safe recovery of Sohail Baloch and Faseeh Baloch.
