Protesters led by relatives of missing persons reached industrial town Hub after travelling 667 kilometres on foot. DESIGN: SIDRAH MOIZ KHAN
QUETTA: Long march protesters led by relatives of missing Baloch persons reached industrial town of Hub, a township sharing a border with Karachi, after travelling 667 kilometres on foot from Quetta.
It has been 24 days since women and children - whose loved ones have been missing for years - began walking on the RCD highway.
“Despite bruised feet and pain in the knees, the protesters have continued the journey with unwavering hope as their strength,” said Farzana Majeed, sister of missing student leader Zakir Majeed.
The Lasbela Bar Association and Baloch student organisations in Hub welcomed the marchers, most of whom are women and children. More than twenty families started their long march from Quetta Press Club on October 27.
Vice President of advocacy group Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VFBMP) Mama Qadir Baloch accused the security forces of kidnapping and dumping the bodies of Baloch political activists. He said thousands of Baloch political activists were whisked away by security agencies and had been missing for years.
The body of Qadir’s son Jalil Reki - Information Secretary of Baloch Republican Party (BRP) - was found dumped in Kechi district a couple of years ago. The BRP is led by Baloch nationalist Barahmdagh Bugti.
The long march participants are likely to reach Karachi tomorrow, where they will set up a hunger strike camp in front of the Karachi Press Club. “We will continue our protest until all the missing persons reappear or are produced before the court,” said Qadir.
Sammi Baloch - daughter of kidnapped Din Mohamemd Marri - said she had left school to participate in the protest. “My father has gone missing for three years and our family is immensely disturbed because we all were dependent on him. I want my father get back,” she said. Marri was kidnapped from Khuzdar in 2009.
President of VFBMP Nasurllah Baloch said international humanitarian organisations should take notice of these human rights abuses and launch an independent investigation.
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@roadkashehzada I understand your frustration but please don't label every Baloch a killer of settlers, we are equally saddened when an innocent construction worker is killed. You need to understand the game of establishment here too, when an innocent Punjabi or Pakhtun is killed, they won't take a minuet to blame the freedom fighters but when an innocent Baloch is abducted or killed, the blame is on India. Why don't you guys blame India for killing Pubjabis as well? Anyways, the point here is that not all the five fingers are same, there are some black sheep among us as well but we all shouldn't be categorized in one block. Ziarat residency incident was indeed condemnable but I wish Pakistani people raise voices against missing persons as they did for a rarely used ghost house.
I pray these people find their loved ones. How come FREE media of Pakistan does not support their cause?
Balochistan will soon be free from Pakistani illegal occupation, Inshallah! Bangladesh is improving on every count after freedom from Pakistan and so shall Balochistan. Bangladesh's foreign currency reserves are almost twice as Pakistan and they are already leading Pakistan most social parameters. Baloch deserve nothing but freedom and India shall help them diplomatically, politically or ANY other way it'll take to achieve their right to self-determination.
Going to Karachi is futile methinks. VBMP have already had a long camp outside that very building for last few years now. Karachi's law and order crisis dwarfs VBMP by a long long way. They should have gone to Lahore and did sit in outside CM House. Maybe if they really want attention, they should travel up the country and visit the towns and cities of Punjab to really get noticed.
I can completely understand the feelings but shouldnt they had marched to Islamabad instead of Karachi?
I commend these people and their struggle for rule of Law and Justice. At every step of the journey hundreds if not thousands should have joined their walk. The lack of empathy for these hapless people is appalling -- the right to Life and Justice as promised in the Constitution. HE can hear your voice and HE will punish the guilty, even if Pakistan does not.
although i lost concern for baloch missing persons after ziarat residency attack but in my opinion if they come to lahore for sit in, that would be more effective. balochs are doing same as establishment. using coercion for their demands. this probably is one of very few examples of peaceful protest, otherwise they are equally brutal to kill poor settlers and attacking public and private properties
@Rebel !! agree with you my brother.
24 Days? and the occurrence of this long march news on media, probably two, three times.
I plead to the nation not to underestimate the power of this peaceful protest. We should be responsible enough to address this at all levels. Lets hope its not too late already..