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The Baloch Yakjehti Committee on Wednesday condemned the abduction of nine Baloch musicians including prominent artist Ustad Arif Mazar in a raid in Turbat, Balochistan.
On Tuesday, these artists were taken into custody around 9 PM at Kech Culture Centre. After facing harassment and torture, they were taken to a military base. In a post on X, the BYC stated, "Last night, around 9:00 PM, nine prominent Baloch artists were forcibly taken by security forces from the Kech Cultural Museum. These artists were subjected to severe torture and harassment before being transferred to the military cantonment. They were detained there without any legal justification until the following day, then moved to police stations, where they were locked up for the entire day and later on released." According to the BYC, this grave injustice done to artists and musicians by the Pakistan armed forces represents the harsh truths of Baloch artists who instead of being appreciated for their cultural contribution and talents are being subjected to severe human rights abuses and harassment. The BYC added that they stand with the artists and demand the safety and " well-being" of " invaluable cultural assets." The committee has urged the Baloch people to raise their voices against human rights violations meted out against these artists as the armed forces are given "unchecked" rights to detain and harass any individual during raids. This shows that no individual is safe in Balochistan due to the increase in the cases of enforced disappearance. There have been more than a hundred cases of mass abduction in Balochistan by the Pakistan forces. This has created a situation of terror and anxiety in the minds of people. The Pakistan armed forces have used different violent measures to stop the protest but the BYC along with the Baloch people is fighting against the enforced disappearances. (ANI)
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