Balochistan politicians demand recovery of missing persons

QUETTA: The leaders of all political parties, expressing their concern over the forced disappearances of people, have demanded the immediate recovery of all missing persons, the withdrawal of charges against political leaders, the cessation of raids on religious seminaries, the lifting of the one-document regime at the Chaman border, and restoration of the old border-crossing system to allow people from both sides to cross.

They also called for the cancellation of land allotments to non-locals in the province. These demands were presented during a joint press conference on Monday.

Provincial emir of Jamaat-i-Islami Maulana Hidayatur Rehman Baloch, Rasheed Khan Nasar of the Awami National Party, Yusuf Khan Kakar of Pashtoonkhwa National Awami Party, Ali Ahmad Langove of the National Party, Allama Walayat Hussain Jaffri of Majlis Wahdat-i-Maslimeen, JI’s Zahid Akhtar and Wali Khan Shakir attended the presser.

Maulana Rehman presented a 17-point declaration adopted at a multi-party conference held in Quetta two weeks ago. It stated that the core issue of Balochistan is the denial of the people’s right to ownership of resources, stemming from unconstitutional and undemocratic actions by powerful forces, both past and present, as well as the illegal occupation and exploitation of Balochistan’s coastline and resources.

Call for repeal of 26th Amendment, action on province’s issues

The declaration called for announcement of the victory of ‘actual elected public representatives’, urging the de-seating of un-elected representatives. It condemned forced disappearances, extrajudicial killings and abduction of political workers and youth, describing these actions as violations of basic human rights and freedom of expression.

The declaration demanded the immediate release of all missing persons and called for the repeal of the 26th Constitutional Amendment, which allows for 90 days of extrajudicial detention. It also condemned the burning of missing persons’ camps and the closure of all borders in Balochistan, including Chaman, Taftan, Gwadar, Panjgur and Mand, which has left over three million people unemployed.

It called for the immediate reopening of all borders and for future decisions to be made in consultation with political parties and elected representatives, facilitating border trade.

The declaration also demanded measures to control drug trafficking, which has led to millions of youth falling victim to this issue, and called for a ban on narcotic cultivation. It urged the government to end military operations in Balochistan and take immediate steps to curb the growing drug trade in cities like Quetta, Gwadar, and others.

Condemnation was also expressed regarding the cases filed against political leaders and workers, including Sardar Akhtar Mengal and Dawood Shah Kakar, and the ongoing raids on religious seminaries under the guise of counter-terrorism, which create fear among students and citizens.

The declaration further demanded that the illegal trawler mafia operating in coastal areas like Gwadar, Pasni, Jiwani, Ormara and Gadani be controlled, as it is destroying the livelihoods of local fishermen.

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2024