Unabated kidnappings: Knocking on the government’s door

Relatives of missing Baloch people seek government’s help .

ISLAMABAD:

Relatives of missing Baloch people on Saturday took out a rally in front of National Press Club (NPC). They demanded immediate recovery of their “innocent relatives” and chastised the government for not being able to prevent these abductions.

The rally was organised by the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) and it started from NPC and culminated in front of D-Chowk. Protestors were carrying placards and photographs of their family members. They chanted slogans, “release innocent Balochis and stop target killing”. Zohaib Baloch, one of the students from Degree College Quetta, said that his cousin Jalil Raki went missing from Quetta two years ago and the government has not done anything for his recovery.

“It is very unfortunate that thousands of Baloch have gone missing but the government is not taking any measures to put an end to these incidents,” he said. Speaking at the occasion, VBMP Chairman Nasrullah Baloch said that the incumbent democratic government and the judiciary seem to be reluctant for the recovery of missing Baloch people.

He claimed that for the last six months, a new trend had surfaced. “After kidnapping, the dead bodies of these people are returned home.”  He warned that such gruesome acts cannot help establish peace in Balochistan.

Farzana Bibi, another protestor, whose brother Zakir Majeed went missing was of the view that the state policy in Balochistan was drafted by the military establishment. While criticizing the incumbent government, she said elected representative have completely failed to take practical steps for the rights of these people.

Aasim Sajjad, the representative of Worker Party Pakistan (WPP), said that it is the responsibility of all progressive forces outside Balochistan to stand with the Baloch people “at the time of great oppression”.

The protestors said now was the time to take practical measures for the recovery of these people. They vowed to continue their struggle till the recovery of the last missing Baloch.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 10^th, 2011.