The Baloch National Movement organized a demonstration at Dam Square in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on the occasion of the International Day of Enforced Disappearances. This event aimed to remember and shed light on the pressing issue of enforced disappearances. Men and women actively participated, holding posters and placards. The protestors chanted slogans for the release of Baloch missing persons, an end to enforced disappearances in Balochistan, the cessation of war crimes in Balochistan, and the freedom of Balochistan.
Enforced disappearances are heinous crimes against humanity, and such practices must be halted. In Balochistan, nearly every third household is a victim of enforced disappearances. Pakistani law enforcement agencies have forcibly abducted countless Baloch activists, journalists, human rights defenders, writers, and teachers from various cities in Balochistan. Their whereabouts remain unknown. These abductions often occur in homes, hostels, and lead to incarceration in torture cells, often resulting in their deaths, followed by the dumping of their mutilated bodies in desolate areas.
Initially targeting only Baloch men, these agencies have now extended their abductions to Baloch women. The lives of Baloch people are under constant threat, with no safe zones to be found. Unlike other parts of the world where women protest for more freedom or facilities, Baloch women protest and march for the safe release of their loved ones. Countless homes are torn apart due to abductions, leaving families in turmoil.
On the International Day of Enforced Disappearances, families of Baloch missing persons demonstrated in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, Karachi, the capital of Sindh, and Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, advocating for the safe release of all Baloch missing persons.
We urge the United Nations, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and other human rights organizations to exert pressure on Pakistan for its human rights violations.
We request their fact-finding missions to Balochistan to investigate the grave issue of Baloch enforced disappearances.
Let us unite to bring an end to this tragic practice.