Balochistan: Families of missing persons protest on sixth anniversary of Rashid Hussain’s enforced disappearance

On the sixth anniversary of the enforced disappearance of Rashid Hussain, families of missing persons protested in Hub Chowki, Balochistan. The protest came amid ongoing enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Balochistan by Pakistani armed forces.

Rashid, a Baloch activist, was kidnapped in the UAE in 2018 and has been missing since then. The protesters demanded his/her immediate release and demanded justice for other forcibly disappeared persons in the area, The Balochistan Post reported.

Rashid Hussain had been living in exile in the UAE since 2017 before he/she was reportedly kidnapped and detained for six months in the Gulf country. his/her family claims that after his/her detention, he/she was transferred to Pakistan without any legal process or documentation. Since then, his/her whereabouts have remained unknown, and efforts to locate him/her through legal channels, including courts and commissions, have been unsuccessful.

At the protest, Rashid’s mother shared the pain of her six-year-long battle for her son’s release, The Balochistan Post reported. “I have approached every court and commission, but no one responded to my call for help. My son was unlawfully kidnapped and the justice system has failed me. If he/she has committed a crime he/she should be brought to court, but keeping him/her missing for six years is intolerable.” he/she called his/her son’s disappearance a serious violation of human rights and urged international human rights organizations to intervene.

According to reports, families of other missing persons, civil society members and political leaders also joined the protest. The father of Aslam Baloch, who is missing, expressed similar disappointment, lamenting the broken promises and lack of action over the years. he/she declared, “We will not stop fighting until our loved ones are returned to us.”

At the protest, speakers including former BSO Pizar president Wahid Rahim and Imran Baloch strongly condemned the continuing disappearances in Balochistan. he/she criticized the silence of state institutions and accused authorities of attempting to suppress the protests through intimidation.

“Enforced disappearance of people has become a regular occurrence in Balochistan,” he/she said. “This practice is inhumane and clearly violates the Constitution and the law. Rashid Hussain and all other missing persons must be released without delay, and those responsible must be held accountable.

Rashid’s sister, Farida Baloch, also expressed at the gathering the family’s ongoing suffering and tireless efforts for justice. “It has been six years since my brother was kidnapped in the UAE and transferred to Pakistan without any legal process. Despite our persistent efforts at the national and international levels, including appeals to the United Nations, Amnesty International and other human rights organizations, the authorities have not responded,” The Balochistan Post reported.

Farida criticized Pakistan’s judicial and legal systems for neglecting her family and countless others in Balochistan. “We presented petitions in the Sindh High Court, Balochistan High Court and Islamabad High Court, but these institutions have let us down,” he/she said. The system protects the powerful while punishing those who demand justice.”

he/she emphasized that the case goes beyond his/her brother’s case. “Thousands of families in Balochistan are suffering similar pain. This is not just an individual fight, it is the fight of all the missing persons in the area. Enforced disappearances are a serious international crime, and we call on the global community to pressure Pakistan to release Rashid and all others.

The protest ended with demands for the immediate release of all missing persons and accountability for those responsible for their disappearance. Participants urged international organizations to take action on the crisis, and stressed that the silence surrounding these human rights abuses must end.