Islamabad: The sit-in protest of Baloch missing persons’ families, which lasted for more than two months, concluded on its 74th day here on Friday with a peaceful demonstration and rally in front of the National Press Club.
The rally passed through various streets of the capital of Pakistan before returning to the press club, where it was joined by a large number of people, including students, members of civil society and lawyers. Participants demanded the lifting of political restrictions, an end to the practice of enforced disappearances and the recovery of missing persons in Balochistan.
At a press conference marking the 74th day, the families announced the conclusion of their prolonged sit-in. They expressed hope that their demands would be taken seriously by the authorities and that steps would be initiated toward restoring human rights in Balochistan.
They explained that the purpose of the press conference was to highlight the oppression, cruelty and indifference of the state toward the human rights situation. The families complained about the authorities’ dismissive attitude throughout their 74-day campaign, noting that despite staging a peaceful protest in the nation’s capital against the illegal arrests and enforced disappearances of their loved ones, they were met with hostility and violence.
The families shared that the 74 days of protest taught them painful lessons they had never imagined. They described experiencing humiliation, hatred and assaults on their dignity in the capital city, leaving wounds deeper than any physical scars. “Physical injuries may heal,” they said, “but the impact of such degrading treatment will remain etched in our minds forever. They emphasized that leaders of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, Dr. Mahrang Baloch, Bibgar Baloch, Sabiqatullah Shahji, Gulzadi Baloch and Beebow Baloch, are widely recognized as genuine representatives of the Baloch people. Yet, instead of acknowledging them, the state has kept them imprisoned for the last six months on fabricated charges, simply because they raised their voices against injustice and oppression.
The press conference stressed that responsible states listen to their people, resolve grievances and respect dissent rather than silencing voices with bullets or violence. Unfortunately, the families noted, the conduct of the state in Balochistan has been the opposite, raising fears that in the future even the basic right to breathe might be denied to those who dare to speak out.They reminded the world of how their peaceful democratic struggle was suppressed with force, how courts and laws were misused against human rights defenders and how journalism was reduced to a tool of propaganda. While justice was not delivered during their two-month-long protest, they said, elderly mothers endured harsh weather with courage and perseverance, sending a clear message to the world about the state’s attitude toward the Baloch people, even in its own capital.
After consultations with well-wishers, including senior activist and writer Muhammad Ali Talpur, HRCP’s Munizae Jahangir, Defence of Human Rights’ Amina Masood Janjua, lawyer Imaan Mazari and others, the families decided to conclude their sit-in. However, they made it clear that their struggle against enforced disappearances and unlawful detentions would continue in other forms and their voices would not be silenced. They expressed satisfaction that their protest had exposed state oppression to the world and demonstrated that they did not remain silent in the face of injustice.
In closing, they thanked all those who stood unconditionally by their side during this movement. They appealed to friends and supporters to continue standing with them until the release of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee leadership, the end of enforced disappearances, and the cessation of state oppression. They concluded by affirming that unless their leaders are released unconditionally, their struggle will continue across all of Balochistan.
