Baloch Rights Activist Demands Immediate Release of Missing Journalists Amidst Protests and Global Outcry
Balochistan, a region often overlooked in international discourse, continues to grapple with severe human rights violations. The recent call for justice by Baloch rights activist Mahrang Baloch has brought renewed attention to the plight of two missing journalists, Asif Baloch and Rashid Baloch, who have been missing for six years. The families of these journalists, along with supporters, have been relentlessly seeking answers, staging protests, and demanding the immediate release of their loved ones.
Mahrang Baloch, a prominent voice in the Baloch rights movement, recently shared a heartbreaking image on social media. The photograph shows a woman, holding pictures of her two brothers, Asif and Rashid, who she alleges were forcefully detained by Pakistani forces. This powerful image is a stark reminder of the anguish faced by countless families in Balochistan, who have been left in the dark about the fate of their loved ones.
In a poignant post on X (formerly Twitter), Mahrang Baloch expressed the unbearable pain of a sister who, instead of celebrating her brothers' birthdays, must spend each year protesting and holding placards in a desperate attempt to find them. Her words resonate deeply with many in the region: "What can be more painful for a sister than to spend the day of her enforced disappearance every year instead of celebrating her brothers' birthdays, a protest and a placard in hand that represents a year's worth of pain and suffering? The increase is done, but the brothers do not come back!"
The situation in Balochistan has reached a critical point, with the Human Rights Council of Balochistan strongly condemning the ongoing harassment, detention, and enforced disappearances of journalists and social activists by Pakistani forces. In a statement, the organization highlighted the recent abduction of journalist Hayat Khan Khetran, along with Asif Baloch and Hayat Shah Baloch, members of the Barkhan Youth Union. These individuals were reportedly summoned by the Frontier Corps (FC) in Barkhan before they vanished without a trace. Their current whereabouts remain unknown, adding to the growing list of enforced disappearances in the region.
The plight of the Baloch people has not gone unnoticed by international human rights organizations. The Baloch Yakjehti Committee marked Enforced Disappearance Day on August 30 with a call to the global community. They urged the world to stand in solidarity with the Baloch people and to combat the crime of enforced disappearances. The committee's message was clear: the international community must take a stand against these gross human rights violations and defend the universal rights of individuals everywhere.
The families of Asif and Rashid Baloch, alongside other victims of enforced disappearances, have vowed to continue their protests until justice is served. On Saturday, Mahrang Baloch announced that the families would stage a protest in front of the Quetta Press Club, raising their voices against this inhumane practice.
The ongoing crisis in Balochistan underscores the urgent need for international attention and intervention. The stories of Asif and Rashid Baloch are just two among many, but they represent the larger struggle for human rights in the region. As the protests continue, the demand for the release of these journalists grows louder, echoing the cries of countless families who seek only one thing: the safe return of their loved ones.
