While Pakistan is currently immersed in political news ahead of the upcoming general elections next week, a notable shift occurred in December when hundreds of citizens marched on the capital Islamabad with an entirely distinct agenda.
However, a different kind of march took place in December, led by women like Sammi Deen Baloch. These women, marching almost 1,000 miles from Balochistan province, demand answers about their family members who have been "forcibly disappeared" amid a long-running nationalist insurgency.
Balochistan, in western Pakistan, has been a hotbed of conflict, with separatist militants fighting for a free Balochistan. The protesters allege that their loved ones, mostly men, have been arbitrarily detained, tortured, and killed by Pakistani security forces during a counterinsurgency operation. Islamabad denies these allegations, but families believe thousands have disappeared over the last two decades.
Sammi Deen Baloch, whose father was forcibly disappeared when she was 11, is still seeking answers after 14 years. The Voice for Baloch Missing Persons reports around 7,000 cases since 2004, while the government's Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances lists 2,752 active cases as of January 2024.
In 2021, Pakistan's parliament passed a bill to criminalize enforced disappearances, but it has not been enforced. Baloch activists, labeled as secessionists or troublemakers by the state, assert that many detainees have no ties to armed resistance.
Protesters urge authorities to follow due process and bring the accused to court, emphasizing the emotional toll these disappearances take on families.
Mahrang Baloch, a prominent figure in the Baloch resistance movement, organized a march in 2021, hoping to draw global attention to human rights violations in Balochistan. She highlights the alarming increase in forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, with some individuals remaining unaccounted for or released from secret cells in poor mental and physical health.
Balochistan's recent exposure to global events, such as airstrikes from Iran in January, has reignited tensions. Baloch groups in both Pakistan and Iran have a history of fighting for greater autonomy, accusing the Pakistani government of exploiting resources without benefiting the Baloch people.
Observers argue that resolving the conflict is in Pakistan's political and economic interest. However, skepticism prevails among protesters and Baloch activists, who fear the upcoming elections may further marginalize their community.
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