The protest camp of Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) against enforced disappearances in Balochistan continued for the 5,844th consecutive day on Friday in front of Quetta Press Club. The families of Abdul Ghani Baloch and Aimal Baloch joined the camp to register their protest.
The sister of Abdul Ghani Baloch stated that he is an MPhil scholar, a leader of the National Democratic Party (NDP), and a peaceful political activist. On May 25, while traveling from Quetta to Karachi, he was taken into custody by security forces at Khuzdar in front of fellow passengers and has since been subjected to enforced disappearance. The family has not been informed about the reasons for his detention, nor have they been told which authority is currently holding him.
She further shared her frustration with the authorities, stating that when she went to Khuzdar to file an FIR regarding her brother’s disappearance, the local police station’s SHO refused to register it. Despite submitting a request to the SP of Khuzdar, the FIR was still not lodged, causing immense mental distress to the family.
According to a press release issued by VBMP, the case of Aimal, a minor student who was reportedly picked up by CTD and other agencies from Quetta’s Red Zone on the night of May 22–23, has been formally submitted to the provincial commission on missing persons and to the Government of Balochistan.
VBMP Chairman Nasrullah Baloch expressed deep concern over the unlawful detentions and subsequent disappearances of Abdul Ghani Baloch and Aimal Baloch. He urged the government to bring both individuals to light if there are any charges against them, and to provide them the opportunity to defend themselves through legal proceedings. If they are innocent, they must be released immediately to spare their families further psychological torment.
