Quetta: Nasrullah Baloch, Chairman of the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP), held a press conference today to mark the completion of 6,000 days of the organization’s protest camp in front of Quetta Press Club. Addressing journalists, he described the milestone as both historic and tragic, highlighting the persistent struggle of families of enforced-disappearance victims in Balochistan.
According to Nasrullah Baloch, theVBMP protest camp, established in 2009, has also been held multiple times in Karachi and Islamabad, making it one of the longest-running peaceful protest movements in the world. Over the past sixteen years, Our organization has raised awareness about missing persons through seminars, protests and long marches, including a train march and a 2,000-kilometer on-foot march from Quetta to Islamabad. Families of missing persons have consistently presented their cases to federal and provincial authorities, as well as relevant commissions, with documented evidence.
Baloch noted that despite the long-standing peaceful and constitutional struggle, VBMP members have faced significant obstacles, including bogus charges under the Anti-Terrorism Act, arrests, threats, harassment and even the extrajudicial killing of two district coordinators. “Despite all these challenges, we have never abandoned our peaceful and constitutional struggle,” he said.
He emphasized that VBMP is a non-political human rights organization, with the sole aim of ending enforced disappearances in Balochistan and ensuring the rule of law and equal treatment for all citizens. Nasrullah Baloch criticized Pakistani authorities for failing to take practical steps to address the issue. Instead, he said, state institutions have amended laws under the pretext of national security, providing constitutional protection to extrajudicial actions rather than resolving the disappearances.
Baloch called on the Pakistani state and its institutions to exercise seriousness and restraint in Balochistan, treat the issue as a political matter requiring political solutions, and guarantee the immediate recovery of missing persons. He also urged that those accused of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings be brought to justice and permanent legislation be enacted to prevent such violations while protecting human dignity and constitutional rights.
“The issue of missing persons is not only a concern for individuals or the Baloch community but also reflects on the credibility of justice systems and human rights institutions globally,” Baloch said. He appealed to the international community to raise their voice against these human rights violations and urged families of missing persons to actively participate in VBMP’s peaceful struggle.
The press conference concluded with a call for continued solidarity and support for the organization’s efforts to end enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Balochistan.
