QUETTA: The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) has strongly criticized a recent press conference held by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), saying the military’s media wing of attempting to legitimize extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in Balochistan.
In a statement shared by the BYC on social media platform X, the organization described the press conference as a “systematic effort” to justify state repression and silence human rights defenders, journalists and political activists speaking against human rights violations in the region.
The BYC said the ISPR briefing relied on “old and scripted narratives” while offering no new evidence to support claims made against activists, including BYC leaders. The statement emphasized that these media trials serve to intimidate dissenting voices and divert attention from the documented abuses committed by state institutions.
“The press conference reflects a continuation of Pakistan’s military policies in Balochistan,” the BYC said. “Enforced disappearances continue on a daily basis, with over 2,000 individuals disappeared this year alone, leaving hardly any household unaffected.”
The group also criticized the role of journalists at the briefing, claiming that media personnel “did not raise critical questions” and seemed constrained while reporting under the influence of military pressure. The BYC pointed out that a similar approach was observed during a recent press briefing by the Balochistan Chief Secretary in Quetta, where missing persons were labeled as terrorists without judicial process.
The statement further questioned the logic of the ISPR’s claims, asking why terrorists are not arrested through legal channels and presented before courts, and why bodies of disappeared individuals are recovered years later.
The BYC reiterated its commitment to continue highlighting every case of enforced disappearance, calling for international attention and accountability. “No authority has the right to label anyone a criminal at gunpoint,” the organization said. “These press conferences will not deter our efforts to document violations and advocate for justice in Balochistan.”
The BYC concluded that it will continue its work in a “more organized, stronger, and more effective manner” until those forcibly disappeared are safely presented before courts and justice is ensured.
