Baloch Yakjehti Committee accuses Pakistan of destroying society through enforced disappearances

The sit-in has attracted widespread attention and solidarity in Balochistan and beyond.

In a post on Twitter, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee said, “The sit-in is ongoing in Turbat city for the past 7 days. Families of enforced disappearances of Baloch people are protesting for their missing loved ones in the scorching heat of Turbat. Enforced disappearances are one of the manifestations of Baloch genocide by the state.”

For the past seven days, a sit-in protest has been going on in Turbat city. In the case of enforced disappearance of Baloch people, the victim families are demonstrating for their missing loved ones in the scorching heat of Turbat. Enforced disappearance is an expression of violence. pic.twitter.com/Pv5w7QTe8j

— Baloch Yakjehti Committee (@BalochYakjehtiC) June 23, 2024

The BYC denounces the State’s alleged attempts to harm those forcibly disappeared and inflict mental anguish on their families.

Furthermore, it argued that these actions are aimed at undermining Baloch society through repressive tactics, which it deemed a serious violation of human rights.

“With the clear intention of causing physical harm to the disappeared persons and mental distress to their families, the state is deliberately trying to destroy Baloch society with such oppressive practices, which is a crime and a violation of human rights,” BYC said.

BYC stressed that when individuals are forcibly disappeared and their families subsequently engage in peaceful protests, they experience feelings of abandonment, despair and desperation.

“When a person goes missing, and later, when their families protest peacefully, they are left alone, hopeless and despondent. All these circumstances create a single reality: the state is directly committing genocide against the Baloch people. To ignore these families and not address their legitimate demands is to deny the state's cruel practices,” BYC said.

The issue of enforced disappearances in Balochistan remains a serious and long-standing human rights concern, attracting international attention due to its humanitarian impact and implications for regional stability.

Enforced disappearance occurs when a person is arrested, detained, or abducted by state authorities or their agents, often without any legal process or information regarding their whereabouts.

The practice of enforced disappearances is primarily associated with government security forces and intelligence agencies.

Their targets are often activists, journalists, students, and those who challenge state power or advocate for Baloch rights and autonomy. Once disappeared, individuals are often held in undisclosed locations, where they reportedly face torture, inhumane treatment, and sometimes extrajudicial killing.