Quetta protests escalate as Pakistani authorities face heat over missing student case

Balochistan [Pakistan], April 26 (ANI): A protest at Bolan Medical College in Quetta entered its third consecutive day, as students continued a sit-in demanding answers over the disappearance of a fellow student, Khadija Baloch.
Demonstrators alleged intimidation and harassment by authorities during the ongoing protest, as reported by The Balochistan Post.
According to The Balochistan Post, Khadija Baloch, a seventh-semester BS Nursing student from the Kech district, was reportedly taken from the college's girls' hostel by personnel linked to the Counter Terrorism Department and other security agencies.
Since then, her whereabouts have not been publicly disclosed, prompting growing concern among students and her family.
Protesters have remained camped outside the college premises, calling for her immediate appearance before a court and transparency regarding her detention. Family members stated that no First Information Report (FIR) or formal charges had been shared with them, despite official claims that she had been arrested through legal procedures. In contrast, a government official asserted via social media that evidence existed linking the detained student to militant facilitation. He maintained that the action followed due legal process and that she had been moved to an internment facility under government orders.
He also claimed that her family had been notified, urging the public to refrain from circulating unverified claims.
However, speaking at a press briefing near the protest site, Khadija's parents rejected these claims. They said authorities had neither disclosed her location nor provided reasons for her detention. They further alleged that attempts were being made to coerce her into giving a false confession under duress, insisting such statements would lack legal validity, as highlighted by The Balochistan Post.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) also condemned the situation, stating that the sit-in had yielded no progress while participants faced surveillance and profiling.
The group warned that any harm to protesters would be the responsibility of local police, describing their conduct as unlawful. It also called on the public and international bodies to raise concerns over what it termed systemic repression, as reported by The Balochistan Post. (ANI)