ISLAMABAD: Baloch rights activist Mahrang Baloch has urged for a United Nations fact-finding committee to investigate enforced disappearances in Balochistan, rejecting the government’s committee on the matter.
In an interview with Aaj News, Mahrang Baloch highlighted that nearly 100 students remain detained, with efforts by lawyers underway to secure their release.
She cited the case of Dr. Zaheer Baloch, a scholar at Quaid-e-Azam University in Islamabad, who was filmed being apprehended without subsequent court appearances.
Many of those still in custody, she mentioned, are relatives of missing persons, including Fasih Baloch, the brother of Usman Baloch abducted from Balochistan University.
Mahrang Baloch pointed out discrepancies in the Islamabad police’s claims of not arresting any women, contradicted by videos. She emphasized that parents in Balochistan, who invested significantly in their children’s education, now witness them in custody.
She highlighted the protesters’ voices, affirming that those they advocate for remain detained, with more individuals being taken into custody.
Regarding a recent incident, Mahrang Baloch clarified that individuals who disrupted the protest by taking the sound system intended to intimidate the demonstrators. She speculated that the perpetrator’s frustration led to seizing the equipment after their attempts at harassment were thwarted. Surprisingly, the police claimed inability to take action against the culprit.
She noted that the same police initially halted the march, citing security reasons. However, she confirmed that despite reports of attempting to relocate women protesters via buses, they remain at the protest site, joined by more Balochistan residents.
Mahrang Baloch asserted that the Baloch protest momentum wouldn’t wane and would gather further support.
