Pakistan: Families of missing Baloch people begin long march from Buleda to Turbat

Kech district is in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. The name of this district was earlier Turbat district, which was later changed to its old name Kech district.

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A long march was carried out by families of Baloch people from Buleda, Jamuran to Turbat (Kech) in Balochistan on Sunday 2 June 2024. Muslim Arif, Fida Mayar, Parvez Ghani, Jan Muhammad, Farooq Dad, Shehak and Naseer Peer took part in this long march. pic.twitter.com/Fo5VBqmszS

— Baloch Yakjehti Committee (@BalochYakjehtiC) June 3, 2024

“Family members of those forcibly disappeared during the Long March included Muslim Arif, Fida Mayar, Parvez Ghani, Jan Muhammad, Farooq Dad, Sheikh and Naseer Pir Bakhsh, as well as other victims of enforced disappearances,” Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), a Baloch rights organisation in Balochistan, said in a post on X.

Furthermore, the Baloch organization urged Kech residents to participate in the protests and stand with the affected families of those forcibly disappeared.

The Baloch Yakjehti Committee said, “Currently, the protest is continuing in front of the Deputy Commissioner Office (DC Office) in Turbat. We request the Baloch nation, especially the residents of Kech district, to be a part of their struggle and stand with the suffering families of those who have been forcibly disappeared.”

Recently, BYC said that cases of enforced disappearances are at a critical point, and the administration's response of giving false promises to peaceful protesters is unacceptable. We completely reject these empty assurances and demand the immediate release of protesters' loved ones.”

The BYC statement said that two protests were organised in Kech and Turbat against the incidents in the region.

According to the statement, Naeem Rahmat, a student enrolled in BA at Turbat University, was in his second semester when he forcibly disappeared on March 17, 2022. It has been more than two years, and his whereabouts are unknown, disrupting his education and causing deep distress to his family.

The victim's family has demonstrated several times since then, but Rehmat has not been released. On Eid day on April 10, 2024, his family staged a sit-in on the main CPEC road in Shapuk, Kech. The sit-in ended after the Deputy Commissioner of Kech assured Naeem's safe release within five days. However, Naeem is still missing, leading his family to once again stage a sit-in on the CPEC road in Shapuk.

Meanwhile, the sit-in led by the families of Uzair Baloch and Nawaz Baloch continues in Turbat. Uzair, son of Haji Shambe, is a lecturer at Buleda Degree College and lives in Jusak, Turbat. He was forcibly disappeared by the authorities from his hometown on April 18, 2024. Similarly, Nawaz Baloch, a resident of Buleda Bit, was also forcibly disappeared during a raid by security forces on the same night.

The Baloch nation should not remain silent when their loved ones are forcibly disappeared; instead, they must protest against it. Together we can fight against this oppression. Together we can continue our struggle until the Baloch genocide ends.