Karachi: The protest camp set up outside the Karachi Press Club against the disappearance of missing Baloch student Zahid Ali had to be postponed again on Monday due to the deteriorating health of his father, Abdul Hameed Baloch.
According to the family, Abdul Hameed Baloch has long been suffering from hepatitis and his condition worsened yesterday, forcing them to move him to a nearby clinic, where doctors advised strict rest. For this reason, the family has temporarily suspended their hunger strike camp for the past two days.
Zahid Ali’s parents and relatives have been staging a protest outside the Karachi Press Club for over a month. They allege that security forces picked up Zahid, along with his rickshaw, several months ago and that he remains detained at an undisclosed location.
The family explained that Zahid is a student at Karachi University who, alongside his studies, drove a rickshaw to support household expenses and cover medical treatment for his ailing father. His enforced disappearance has left the entire family in severe emotional and financial distress.
Earlier, Zahid’s parents had also staged a sit-in near Mauripur, where police and district administration officials assured them that information would be provided, but no state institution has given any response to date.
Speaking to the media, Zahid’s mother said, “My son was the only support for his parents. Our household ran on his hard work, but since his disappearance, our peace and source of support have been taken away.”
The family has once again appealed to the government, judiciary and human rights organizations to disclose Zahid Ali’s whereabouts and take immediate steps to ensure his safe recovery.
