July 16, 2025
By Rana Malhi
ISLAMABAD
Families of missing persons, along with the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), staged a protest outside the National Press Club in Islamabad on Wednesday July 16, demanding the immediate recovery of forcibly disappeared individuals as well as the release of BYC leader Dr. Mahrang Baloch and other detained members of the organization.
The protest drew participation from relatives of missing persons from Balochistan, human rights activists, lawyers, and members of civil society. Holding placards and photographs of their missing loved ones, the demonstrators also displayed portraits of Dr. Mahrang Baloch, calling for her immediate release and that of other BYC leaders.
A woman protester Baloch Bati told Voicepk that her husband has been missing for six years and there has been no word on his whereabouts. “This uncertainty has shattered our lives. My children’s future is hanging in the balance,” she said.
Fauzia Baloch, a leader of BYC, said that Dr. Mahrang and other members of the group’s leadership were picked up unlawfully during a peaceful demonstration.
“We approached the High Court to challenge this illegal detention, but the judiciary has not provided any relief,” she added.
Veteran politician and National Democratic Movement (NDM) leader Afrasiab Khattak, who joined the protest in solidarity, condemned the state’s actions. “BYC is a peaceful organization. Detaining its leadership without due process is a gross violation of human rights. These tactics in Balochistan are an assault on civil liberties,” he said.
Following the demonstration, Dr. Mahrang Baloch’s sister, Nadia Baloch, addressed a press conference. She demanded the immediate release of Dr. Mahrang and all BYC leaders, along with the recovery of all missing persons.
“Our protest will not end until our demands are met,” she asserted.