Quetta (Shaal): The protest camp of the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP), led by Vice Chairman Mama Qadeer Baloch, continues in front of the Quetta Press Club. On Monday, the protest reached its 5,853rd day.
People from various walks of life and families of the disappeared visited the camp, demanding the safe recovery of victims of enforced disappearances.
Speaking to visiting delegations, Mama Qadeer Baloch said that daily reports of severe human rights violations continue to emerge from Balochistan, and each incident is deeply painful. Enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings have become a routine practice by state institutions.
He cited the example of Salam Haider, a resident of Gatti Dor, Gwadar, who was allegedly killed in custody on June 15, 2025. His body was later handed over to the family with instructions to remain silent about the murder. “After custodial killings, the bodies are often handed over to the Edhi Foundation for anonymous burial, which is a second layer of oppression for the families. On one hand, the state forcibly disappears people, on the other, they add to the trauma by burying victims without names.”
Mama Qadeer added that in some recent cases, officials informed the court that those killed in custody were handed over to the Edhi Foundation for burial. “The Edhi Foundation claims to serve humanity, it should not be used to destroy evidence of state crimes. Despite being aware of the situation in Balochistan, the foundation continues to take part in these anonymous burials, while the families of the disappeared have been protesting for 16 years.”
“We have records of every forcibly disappeared person,” he continued. “The Edhi Foundation can verify identities before burial. Even if burial is necessary, we should be informed who was buried, in what condition, and in which grave. We deserve to know where the body was found.”
Mama Qadeer stressed that in this modern age, anonymous burials are solely a state-driven decision. “With DNA testing and many modern methods available, identities can be established. Yet, even when families demand it, the bodies are deliberately buried in unmarked graves. This only deepens the wounds of enforced disappearances in Baloch society.”
