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Demonstrators have continued their sit-in in the Surab district of Pakistan's Balochistan for the fourth consecutive day, blocking the key China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) road in protest against enforced disappearances and alleged human rights violations in Balochistan, The Balochistan Post reported.
The protest, organised by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) Jhalawan region and the families of the missing persons, demanded justice and an end to systematic repression by the state. During a press conference held at the protest site, demonstrators accused security forces of forcibly disappearing Baloch youth, describing enforced disappearances as a state policy. "Every day, another Baloch youth is taken away without any accountability. The state institutions are not only responsible for these abductions but are also using violence and intimidation to suppress voices that speak against this oppression," The Balochistan Post quoted a protest as saying. The protesters emphasised the presence of families of 12 individuals who have been forcibly disappeared, drawing attention to their plight. They also condemned the excessive use of force by authorities to break up the demonstration, claiming that security forces, including police, Levies, and Frontier Corps (FC) personnel, were deployed from across the Kalat Division to dismantle the sit-in. Enforced disappearances of Baloch people in Pakistan have been a longstanding and alarming issue, particularly in Balochistan. The Baloch population, seeking greater autonomy and rights, has been targeted by state security forces, including the military and intelligence agencies. Since the early 2000s, thousands of Baloch activists, political leaders, journalists, and students have been forcibly disappeared, often accused of separatism or militancy. These disappearances are linked to Pakistan's efforts to suppress Baloch nationalist movements and maintain control over the resource-rich region. Families of the disappeared continue to protest, seeking justice, but they face harassment and intimidation. Despite international condemnation, the practice persists, with little accountability or transparency in the cases of forced disappearances in Balochistan. (ANI)
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