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A protest sit-in outside Bolan Medical College (BMC) in Quetta, held over the alleged enforced disappearance of nursing student Khadija Baloch, entered its 12th day on Sunday, with her family and fellow students continuing to call for her safe return, according to a report by The Balochistan Post (TBP).
According to her relatives, Khadija Baloch was taken from the BMC hostel by personnel from Pakistani security forces, including the Frontier Corps and the Counter Terrorism Department, in the presence of other students, as cited in the TBP report. They alleged that she was forcibly removed from the hostel and transported to an unknown location, and her whereabouts have remained unclear since then. The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) stated that Khadija's family has been staging the protest outside the college for nearly two weeks, but there has been no development in the case so far, the report added. In a post on X, the BYC claimed that the family has faced multiple challenges during the 12-day protest and accused authorities of harassing demonstrators rather than working towards Khadija's recovery. The group also alleged that protesters were being photographed at the site, while some were followed after leaving the sit-in, with attempts reportedly made to detain them, according to TBP. "Even today, as on previous days, participants at the protest were photographed, followed, and attempts were made to detain them," the BYC said, adding that such actions would not weaken the protest but instead "only strengthen it." The committee further urged the state and the Balochistan government to end what it described as "collective punishment" of Baloch students and to immediately ensure the release of Khadija Baloch and other missing female students from the region. Enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Balochistan continue to remain a major human rights issue. Families often spend years searching for their missing loved ones, while activists consistently accuse security forces of illegal detentions and staged encounters. Despite continued protests and repeated documentation by human rights organisations, accountability remains scarce. These unresolved cases continue to deepen fear, anger, and widespread mistrust between the state and the Baloch community. (ANI)
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