Pakistan

Balochistan govt claims 2,200 missing persons recovered

Caretaker info minister Jan Achakzai says only 468 people remain missing out of 2,700

Our Correspondent January 10, 2024

Balochistan's Caretaker Information Minister Jan Achakzai. PHOTO: FILE

QUETTA:

Jan Achakzai, the Caretaker Minister of Information for Balochistan, claimed on Wednesday that 2,200 missing persons in the province have been recovered out of the 2,700. However, he did not provide specific details regarding the recoveries.

The minister, during his daily media briefing, said that at present, 468 individuals are reported as missing in Balochistan. "Some elements are exaggerating these statistics to serve their political interests ahead of general elections", he asserted.

The minister's statement came after a presentation of data by the Commission on Missing Persons to the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

"Under a pre-planned conspiracy, some elements in the country want to propagate against state institutions", Achakzai added.

The minister asserted the commitment of both provincial and federal governments to ensuring the recovery of missing persons. However, he claimed that militant organisations were exploiting the issue to exert pressure on state institutions and tarnish their image internationally.

In a broader context, Achakzai compared the number of missing persons in various countries, claiming that India has 350,000 missing persons, the US half a million, and the United Kingdom 100,000.

He criticised Dr Mahrang Baloch, a member of the Baloch Yekjehti Committee (BYC), accusing her of attempting to go abroad and draw parallels with Malala Yousafzai.

Dr Mahrang Baloch is leading BYC camp in Islamabad as protests for the recovery of Baloch missing persons continue in the federal capital Islamabad.

Last week, Khairpur district police booked Dr Baloch and 300 others in an FIR under charges of sedition allegedly committed during their ongoing protest.

The FIR, registered on the state's complaint under Section 124-A of Pakistan Penal Code, was lodged at Wadda Machion police station on the complaint of Sub Inspector Sarfaraz Ahmed Khoso.

Khoso claimed that Mahrang and her associates were spreading anti-Pakistan sentiments among the people and they had been inciting youth to rebel against the country.