Balochistan: Families of missing persons hold protest to mark sixth anniversary of Rashid Hussain's enforced disappearance

Balochistan [Pakistan], December 27 (ANI): Families of missing persons staged a protest in Hub Chowki, Balochistan, to mark the sixth anniversary of Rashid Hussain's enforced disappearance. The protest came mid the ongoing enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Balochistan by Pakistan armed forces.
Rashid, a Baloch activist, was abducted in 2018 while in the United Arab Emirates and has been missing ever since. The protesters called for his immediate release and demanded justice for other individuals who have fallen victim to enforced disappearances in the area, The Balochistan Post reported.
Rashid Hussain had been living in exile in the UAE since 2017 before he was allegedly abducted and detained for six months in the Gulf country. His family claims that, after his detention, he was transferred to Pakistan without any legal procedure or documentation. Since then, his whereabouts have remained unknown, and attempts to trace him through legal channels, including courts and commissions, have been unsuccessful.
At the protest, Rashid's mother shared the anguish of her six-year-long fight for her son's release, The Balochistan Post reported. "I have approached every court and commission, but no one has responded to my cries for help. My son was abducted unlawfully, and the justice system has let me down. If he has committed a crime, he should be brought to court, but keeping him missing for six years is intolerable." She urged international human rights organizations to step in, describing her son's disappearance as a serious violation of human rights.
According to the report, the families of other missing persons, civil society members, and political leaders also joined the protest. The father of Aslam Baloch, who is also missing, expressed similar frustrations, mourning years of broken promises and lack of action. "We will not stop fighting until our loved ones are returned to us," he declared.
At the protest, speakers including former BSO Pijjar Chairman Wahid Raheem and Imran Baloch sharply condemned the continuing enforced disappearances in Balochistan. They criticized the silence of state institutions and accused authorities of attempting to stifle protests through intimidation.
"Enforced disappearances have become a routine occurrence in Balochistan," they stated. "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 should be held accountable."
Rashid's sister, Fareeda Baloch, also spoke at the gathering, expressing the family's ongoing suffering and tireless efforts for justice. "It has been six years since my brother was abducted in the UAE and transferred to Pakistan without any legal process. Despite our persistent efforts both nationally and internationally, including appeals to the UN, Amnesty International, and other human rights organizations, the authorities have provided no answers," The Balochistan Post reported.
Fareeda criticized Pakistan's judicial and legal systems for neglecting her family and countless others in Balochistan. She said, "We submitted petitions to the Sindh High Court, Balochistan High Court, and Islamabad High Court, but these institutions have let us down. The system shields the powerful while punishing those who demand justice."
She stressed that the issue goes beyond her brother's case. "Thousands of families in Balochistan are suffering the same pain. This is not just a personal battle, it is a fight for all the missing persons in the region. Enforced disappearances are a grave international crime, and we call on the global community to exert pressure on Pakistan to free Rashid and all the others."
The protest ended with calls for the immediate release of all missing persons and for accountability for those responsible for their disappearances. Participants urged international organizations to take action on the crisis, emphasizing that the silence surrounding these human rights abuses must come to an end. (ANI)