Baloch protests escalate as CPEC Highway blocked over Khadija Baloch, student leader's disappearance

Balochistan [Pakistan], April 30 (ANI): Demonstrators blocked the Quetta-bound China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) highway at Hironk in Turbat, a day after the family of nursing student Khadija Baloch warned that protests would intensify if she was not recovered, according to The Balochistan Post (TBP).
The road blockade that took place on Wednesday halted traffic in both directions, disrupting movement between Turbat and nearby areas, including Hoshap, Awaran, Panjgur, Surab and Quetta. The protest escalation came after a press conference held on Tuesday during an ongoing sit-in outside Bolan Medical College in Quetta, where Khadija Baloch's family stated that she had been taken from a girls' hostel on the night of April 22 without any warrant and had not been presented before any court.
Her family said they believed the action was a violation of constitutional protections and fundamental rights. They demanded that if any allegations existed against her, she should be produced before a court through transparent legal proceedings; otherwise, she should be released immediately. At the end of the press conference, the family warned that they would be "forced to block the CPEC road" if she was not recovered by the next day. On Wednesday, protesters followed through on that warning by blocking the highway at Hironk, local sources said, as cited by TBP.
Protesters stated that no details had been shared regarding Khadija Baloch's whereabouts since she was taken, adding that demonstrations would persist until she was safely recovered. At the same time, the sit-in outside Bolan Medical College (BMC) entered its eighth day on Wednesday, with relatives, fellow students and residents continuing to gather to demand her recovery and accountability, TBP reported.
In a separate development, a student leader associated with the Baloch Students Organisation (Pajjar) reportedly forcibly disappeared from a hostel in Quetta, according to the group. BSO Pajjar stated that its central senior vice chairman, Babul Malik Baloch, was taken late Tuesday night from the Polytechnic College hostel and shifted to an undisclosed location, the TBP report noted.
In its statement, the organisation called the incident "deeply concerning" and said the disappearance of a student leader from an educational institution represented a breach of fundamental rights. It added that Babul Malik Baloch had been actively involved in advocating for students' educational and democratic rights and warned that his disappearance had created fear within academic institutions and could negatively impact the educational atmosphere, as cited by TBP. (ANI)