July 26, 2025
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD
Relatives of missing persons from Balochistan on Saturday demanded the immediate release of detained Baloch Yakhjehti Committee (BYC) leaders, including Mahrang Baloch, and an end to enforced disappearances in the province.
نیشنل پریس کلب اسلام آباد کے باہر بلوچستان سے آئے لاپتہ افراد کے اہل خانہ کا احتجاج آج گیارھویں روز بھی جاری ہے۔ خواتین، بچے اور دیگر مظاہرین اپنے پیاروں کی تصاویر اٹھائے ہوئے سراپا احتجاج ہیں۔ ان کا مطالبہ ہے کہ حکومت ان کی آواز سنے اور لاپتہ افراد کو بازیاب کرائے۔ مزید تفصیلات… pic.twitter.com/2bEGTenDJd
— Voicepk.net (@voicepkdotnet) July 26, 2025
The relatives are holding a protest demonstration near the National Press Club in Islamabad for the last 11 days to highlight their demands. In a press conference held at their protest camp, demonstrators outlined the challenges they have faced since beginning their sit-in on July 16.
Speaking to reporters at the press conference, Nadia Baloch, sister of Mahrang Baloch, said the families of missing persons, comprising elderly women and young children, were initially denied permission to set up camp or hold press conferences, forcing participants to spend three days exposed to sun and rain without shelter. “We were treated in a manner that perhaps even enemies wouldn’t be subjected to,” Baloch stated, noting that several elderly women and children at the demonstration had fainted due to the conditions.
She said that on the fourth day of their demonstration, police blocked all access routes to the Press Club area, though protesters maintained their vigil despite the restrictions. They also alleged that police conducted raids on their accommodation, forcing them to relocate and obtaining identity cards and photographs of Baloch students.
The protesters are calling for the immediate release of eight detained individuals- Dr Mahrang Baloch, Shah Ji Sabghat Allah Baloch, Gulzadi Baloch, Beebo Baloch, Beebagar Baloch, Imran Baloch, Bashir Ahmad Zehri and Mama Ghafar Baloch. Their second major demand is for Pakistani authorities to immediately halt enforced disappearances and unlawful arrests of political activists in Balochistan.
Baloch claimed that during their 11-day demonstration period alone, more than 14 people have been forcibly disappeared in Balochistan. They also alleged that six civilians were killed by what they termed “state-sponsored death squads”.
The demonstrators specifically mentioned two recent incidents: the shooting of Shah Dar Mengal by Frontier Corps personnel in Nokundi, and the death of Hameed Baloch in what they described as a secret torture facility.
Appeal to international community
Baloch addressed international human rights organizations, citing Articles 19 and 21 of the UN Charter regarding freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. She questioned whether these universal rights apply to the Baloch people and called on international bodies to take notice of the situation. “We have traveled hundreds of kilometers seeking justice, but we are neither being heard nor granted the right to protest,” Baloch read from a prepared statement at the press conference.
Baloch criticized what the protetsres termed a “media blackout” preventing full coverage of events in Balochistan. They challenged security institutions narrative that allegedly dismiss enforced disappearances as “mere drama”.
The demonstrators have invited journalists, human rights activists, and negotiators to visit their camp and engage in dialogue, though they expressed skepticism that officials would participate in good-faith discussions.
Despite what they describe as continuous harassment and pressure from authorities, including the positioning of buses near their camp site, the protesters vowed to continue their demonstration until their demands are met.
“We state categorically that until our demands are fulfilled, we will not end our protest camp despite all state oppression,” Baloch declared.
The group has appealed to civil society, lawyers, journalists, student organizations, and Islamabad residents to support what they characterize as a struggle for justice and constitutional rights.
The protest represents ongoing tensions between Baloch nationalist groups and Pakistani authorities over allegations of human rights violations and forced disappearances in the southwestern province of Balochistan.