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Amid surge in the enforced disappearances of Baloch people, six of the eight Baloch students who had gone "missing" on October 16 from their shared residence in Gulistan-i-Jauhar neighbourhood of Karachi city, have returned to their homes, the families of these students told to the media outlet Dawn.
Dawn noted that the students, namely, Ishfaq, Shahzad, Bebarg Ameer, Zubair, Qambar Ali and Saeedullah were "released by the police" in Uthal, Balochistan. However, Hanif and Shoaib are still missing, they added. Wazir Ahmed, brother of one of the missing students, told Dawn that six of the eight students were released in the wee hours of Friday morning at around 1 AM at the Uthal police station. According to Dawn, the families of these students have claimed that the eight students were picked up by law enforcement agencies on October 16 during a raid at their shared house. Later, they filed a petition before the Sindh High Court which eventually issued notices to the Home Secretary, Inspector General of Police and other respondents and directed the police to produce the "detainees" in court by November 4. Balochistan is facing numerous ongoing issues deeply rooted in its historical, political, and socio-economic context. The region is marked by reports of enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and torture by state security forces. Activists and journalists who speak out against these abuses often face intimidation and harassment. The Baloch people frequently feel excluded from political power and decision-making processes, with many local leaders advocating for greater autonomy and self-determination to address these grievances. They are struggling for autonomy and rights over local resources but the Pakistan state has used different tactics to repress the peaceful protest. Hence, protests have been taking place across Pakistan against the enforced disappearances of Baloch people. The Baloch people are resisting the state-sponsored crimes against them. (ANI)
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