From 2 am to 4.30 am in the early hours of July 4, unknown men entered Absor (Turbat) and arrested two Baloch youth, including a student Salim Baloch, from their homes. Both the youth were shifted to unknown whereabouts and have not yet been produced in any court of law. Salim is a recent graduate in history from the University of Punjab, Lahore, while Akram is a labourer in the city. This new wave of enforced disappearances in Balochistan has mainly victimized Baloch youth, particularly students, who are never produced in any court of law during the illegal detention they face. However, they are released in two forms: either after months and years of mental and physical tortures, or as mutilated corpses in what local activists call ‘fake encounters’ – the altered form of the ‘kill and dump policy’ practised during 2009-2015.
Other than passing remarks on enforced disappearances, whether in courts, parliament or assemblies, nothing productive has ever been done practically to resolve the issue of enforced disappearances of the Baloch. Should we deem it the final fate of the Baloch people?
After the crackdowns beginning from 2009 in full pace, there was a slowdown after 2015, but this did not last for long. After 2017, the disappearances observed a flow in its fresher form which has covered mostly Baloch youth, including a large portion of students, and women alongside fake encounters and one-sided media trials during the pendency of the case.
The latest victims of the very brute act of forced disappearances are Salim Baloch and Akram Naeem, while earlier a month, Saki Sawad Baloch, a Baloch teacher, too faced the same fate. Gradually, the graduation in Balochistan is shaping its definition as ‘Baloch ready to be forcibly disappeared’. Then terms as terrorists are underway for such Baloch youth who are themselves unaware of what actually led them to face such punishment, a punishment which is decided with EDs is enforced disappearance.
To recall, a Baloch student, Bebagr Imdad, was abducted from the Punjab University hostel a year ago. Salim Baloch was the eye-witness of the disappearance who later on went to the legal doors and filed a Constitutional Petition (CP) in the Lahore High Court as Bebagr was his guest and his cousin. In this duration, Salim was active in advocating for the release of his cousin Imdad from the state dungeons who, too, was not presented in any court of law which was against his fundamental right to legal representation. The petition was decided in favour of the Baloch students, because it was Lahore and not Balochistan. The petition ensured Imdad was released very soon.
In Islamabad too, petitions are filed against the forced disappearances and harassment of Baloch students from Punjab and the capital city for which a committee has also been set up. But apart from the delaying tactics, the disappeared persons commission is doing nothing to get the Baloch students released. Other than passing remarks on enforced disappearances, whether in courts, parliament or assemblies, nothing productive has ever been done practically to resolve the issue of enforced disappearances of the Baloch. Should we deem it the final fate of the Baloch people?
Saki Sawad Baloch, another Baloch teacher and writer, also faced forced detention from the same Turbat city a month ago. He used to teach Balochi writing using the online tool to any Baloch anywhere, including me. He used to write on social media as well, which helped many in understanding Balochi writing. His abduction has raised concerns for his family and students. Does getting education or giving education mean you need to be disappeared through force in Balochistan?
