Long march participants place portraits of their missing relatives on a push-cart. PHOTO: REUTERS
The participants, led by Mama Qadeer Baloch under the aegis of the Voice of Missing Baloch Persons (VMBP), hope to raise awareness about human rights violations in Balochistan and demand the recovery of their missing relatives.
Speaking to Express News, Mama Qadeer said that the marchers were disappointed in the government and were frustrated with the courts. He stated that they wish to present their demands to the United Nations in Islamabad.
Mama Qadeer added that they intend to ask the UN to send North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) troops to Balochistan to recover their loved ones.
The marchers said that they have faced many problems in their journey.
Around 30 people are participating in the march and plan to continue their journey via Murree Road to Islamabad, which is around 30 kilometers from the UN office.
The march had started from Quetta on October 27, 2013. The first phase, a 730 kilometre walk, ended in Karachi with a demonstration in front of the Press Club on November 23. The second phase began in mid-December.
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We welcome our Baloch Brothers to Rawalpindi/Islamabad. Our voices are with them. The Punjabies, Sindhies, Pakhtons and Gulgit Baltistanies are raisng their voices with them. We all Pakistanis are one brotherhood and we force the Government to help our baloch brothers and sisters.
look at mama qadeer.............he is inviting NATO to come and recover their relativesss.......... the missing persons also belong to CIA and RAW.........Our agencies dunt have personal grudges with them.but if a person is spreading the agenda of foreigner,so he has to face all these consequences..... Pakistan ZindaAbad
@Amira: I'm living in Balochistan since my birth,, its all exaggeration whats been shown in Media. No innocent person has been killed,, its all BLA or BRA militants, with open foreign funding
@Pindiwal:
Oh yeah, you don't like Baloch!!! If you hate them that much then stop using their natural gas from now on!!! The problem with the Punjabis is they don't want to give rights to other ethnicities (including poor Saraikis) and always use "patriotism card" whenever others complain about their colonial mindset.
@Pindiwal and Ahmad: You wouldn't know a "true Baloch" if you stumbled over one, as most people in Punjab don't know anything about Balochistan. Be happy that you live in the peace and comfort of your homes, but don't judge other people whose lives are much harder than you can ever imagine. And after commenting as you do, please also do not complain that other ethnicities don't really like you much.
@Factual: That's YOUR opinion!
@PeaceMonger: ii appreciate ur thinking toward us as a baloch we feel proud owing to this long march ,but illiterate people r unaware of this fact ...........30 people can change the status quo of pakistan............
I am from Quetta and I am not an ethnic Baloch but I respect courage, persevarence, conviction and appreciate their grievance and pleas..Some have taken the arms but generally the people across Balochistan are living in poverty with out access to basic facilities and amenities, helath care and education.
"demand UN to send NATO troops"
This is a new one.
These ppl are puppets of foreign agencies and don;t deserve our respect or any kind of support. No wonder only 30 ppl showed up because True Balochs are Pakistani patriots. This so called "March" is a fraud. 30 ppl what a joke.
Respect the courage and conviction. GoP and Tax Payers pay in millions the hospital and security bills of a 70 year old retired general while another subject of the welfare states walks 2000 + KM with women and children carrying their plea, girevances and message.
These people are highly unwelcomed in Rawalpindi.I have friends from Quetta and other areas of Balochistan who love Pakistan and hate these stooges who are acting to appease their handlers.We love the true Balochs not some imposters who want to disintegrate Pakistan just for the sake of few grand dollars.
Punjabi people are mostly humble, kind, likeable people. Basically just like every other ethnic/racial group in the world. I don't understand all the hatred for Punjabis in the country.
@roadkashahzada punishment to the population of millions for the evils of some miscreants cant be justified in any civilized state....its people like you and me who are responsible for the dismal state of this country because we are the ones who vote for these feudals and treat them as our leaders ..(oh and majority of feudal belong to Punjab) ..
@Ahmad,
30 People....Don't go on numbers.
Realise the pain behind their long travel to capital.
@ Mr Mahmood! Just try and walk a few kilometers. You will soon realize no money or motive (as Mr Haroon Rashid childishly claims in his column) except the love of your loved ones can make you walk 2000 km. These are women, children and a 70 year old. @Mr Ahmed! If 2000 km doesn't qualify as march to you then walking to moon might.Yes small number just shows how all of us have become numb (or afraid) to all injustices happening around us.
@Ahmad: Please respect the cause for which they are marching. Rather than making fun of them you should be supporting the people who have lost their loved ones.
Common Rawalpindians lets participate in The long march.
30 People? How is that march? LOL
@Mahood You are right on target. Here is the link for said column: http://www.columnpk.com/tilism-e-hoshruba-ka-bab-e-awwal-by-haroon-ur-rasheed/#more-111933
Please read Haroon-ur-Rasid column today about this missing person stigma.