The propaganda of “missing persons” is often highlighted by some inimical elements, including foreign NGOs, self-proclaimed journalists and ethno-nationalists, in order to serve their personal interests. Mostly, these elements propagate such concepts to cash in their foreign agendas and pose a challenge to the stability of state.
Falsehoods and partial truths surface in the purposefully produced mist surrounding the missing persons’ issue which are deemed to tarnish the image of the state and its institutions. The perpetrators of disinformation, particularly in this issue, hide behind the garb of human rights violations and tend to create a disorder in the state on ethnic and linguistic lines. It is the imperative for the state and knowledgeable masses to demask such propagandists, and present a clear picture in front of the people of Pakistan.
In an unfortunate incident, a group of terrorists, belonging to Majeed Brigade of BLA, attacked Gwadar Port on March 20. These insurgents planned to derail the ongoing CPEC projects in Balochistan. With the gallant efforts of security personnel, the attack was resisted in an efficient way. Two of the terrorists killed were identified as A.Karim Jan, son of Fazal Baloch, from Turbat, and the other as Imtiaz Ahmed, son of Raza Muhammad. Moreover, A.Karim, an insurgent, was also killed in GPA Complex Operation in Gwadar. His body had been received by his family and later his sister made a video confession that he was a member of Majeed Brigade of BLA – an internationally designated terrorist organization.
Both of them were included in the missing persons’ list. Same “missing persons” were also involved in the Machh attack and once again, myths related to the propaganda about missing persons were busted. Notable is the fact that in December 2023, an ex-BNA leader, Sarfaraz Bungalzai, surrendered himself to the state and made a public statement that India has been funding the insurgency in peripheral areas of Pakistan, which are aimed to target $65 billion CPEC projects.
In order to understand the issue, one can have a look at the report published by the Commission on Missing Persons in January 2024. This report provides an in-depth analysis of the factors influencing missing person incidents. The province of KPK alone had more missing person instances (3,485) than the national average (2,519), and this was partly caused by people departing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for other countries without informing their family. Drone attacks, continuous conflict, and fanaticism were additional variables that led to this condition. As to the report, 994 individuals were being kept in alternative detention centres, while 644 individuals were being held in different jails across the country. It is a comfort to concerned relatives to know about the whereabouts of their people who have gone “missing” themselves.
This transparency demonstrates the extent of the state’s dedication to finding the individuals who are still missing. 10,078 people were reported as missing persons before the commission made by the Supreme Court, out of which 7,781 have been recovered, while 1,477 are kidnapped for ransom or are runaways. Ninety-nine percent of these 820 people, left missing, are those who have joined TTP/BLA/BRA. Whenever a new person joins these terrorist organizations, these so-called NGO-cum-propagandists try to defame the state institutions by calling them “missing persons.”
In the current digital era, misinformation and fake news propagate quickly, thus it’s imperative to avoid falling for such cunning tactics. The preservation of stability and protection of the nation’s security has been greatly aided by the Security Establishment. It has a long history of giving up all to defend democracy, justice, and the safety of its citizens.
To further falsely bolster the narrative against the government, a large number of individuals and NGOs are active in Islamabad and Quetta, working on foreign donations and bribes just to spew disinformation and false narratives. These-self-proclaimed “intellectuals” and NGOs should adhere to the issue with the same zeal and zest while highlighting 500,000 missing persons in America, 150,000 in Britain and 300,000 in India. When these actors willingly highlight 820 cases of Pakistan and do not adhere to the grave conditions of the USA, UK and India, it clearly shows their biassed approach and uncovers their agenda to tarnish the image of Pakistan. On the other hand, there are only 2297 cases of unresolved missing persons in Pakistan, compared to 2130 cases on average every day in India. It is noteworthy from the commission report that despite anti-state actors’ repeated manipulation of this problem, the state of Pakistan is actively pursuing cases that are still unresolved.
It should be evident that the goal of the Baloch Solidarity Council and various NGOs is to incite enmity among people, especially in Balochistan, in the same way as the Pushtoon Tahaffuz Movement once tried and failed. The desire for outside assistance, made by Baloch Solidarity Council, to recover the “missing persons” are all signs that these non-state actors are pursuing an external agenda designed to harm Pakistan. The investigation report of the Gwadar Attack is, in fact, a smack in the face to propagandists like Mahrang Baloch, who ride on the bandwagon of foreign agenda to disparage Pakistan’s intelligence services and armed forces.
In the current digital era, misinformation and fake news propagate quickly, thus it’s imperative to avoid falling for such cunning tactics. The preservation of stability and protection of the nation’s security has been greatly aided by the Security Establishment. It has a long history of giving up all to defend democracy, justice, and the safety of its citizens. Due to this, it is essential to thoroughly assess information sources, confirm facts, and refrain from credulously and disseminating untrue stories that aim to compromise the legitimacy and integrity of governmental institutions. Every citizen in Pakistan is equal before law. The state institutions have always protected the integrity of the state and life of citizens irrespective of their ethnicities and have pledged to do so in future.
