Balochistan CM Says Missing Persons Issue Used as Propaganda, Cabinet Approves Key Laws and Reforms

Quetta: Chief Minister Balochistan Mir Sarfraz Bugti has said that the issue of missing persons has long been used as an organized propaganda tool against the state of Pakistan, despite the fact that such cases are higher in other provinces, particularly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, than in Balochistan.
He expressed these views while chairing the **22nd meeting of the provincial cabinet** at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat in Quetta. The meeting approved several important decisions related to administrative, legal, social, educational, and development sectors, along with the approval of key laws and rules.
The chief minister said that certain elements and political parties continued to exploit the sensitive issue of missing persons for political gains but never made serious efforts to find a permanent and legal solution. He stated that credit goes to the provincial government, cabinet, members of the assembly, and the Chief Secretary for passing a **comprehensive and effective law** from the Balochistan Assembly to address the issue permanently.

Mir Sarfraz Bugti categorically stated that **after February 1**, there will be **no enforced disappearances by the state or government**, as a clear legal framework will be in place. He said the issue has been resolved once and for all, which will help end allegations and negative propaganda against Pakistan regarding enforced disappearances.

He clarified that during intelligence-based operations in grey areas, security forces may detain suspects for investigation; however, under the new framework, the missing persons issue will cease to exist. If individuals go missing due to terrorist organizations or voluntarily go into hiding, the state cannot be held responsible.
The chief minister said courts and relevant commissions already exist to investigate disappearance claims, but in Balochistan, a narrative of “self-styled disappearances” is often created to immediately launch propaganda against the state. To counter this trend, the **Balochistan Prevention of Detention and Radicalization Act (Double One Theta A)** has been enacted, and the cabinet has also approved its **Rules 2025**.
Under the law, designated centers will be established where investigations will be conducted under the supervision of authorized police officers. Counseling of suspects will also be carried out to counter extremism, misleading narratives, and anti-state ideology. Families of detainees will be informed within 24 hours, allowed to meet them, provided medical facilities, and no individual will be transferred outside these centers. Any law enforcement agency conducting investigations will do so within these facilities.
The cabinet also approved the **Balochistan Witness Protection (Amendment) Bill 2025**. The chief minister noted that in the past, due to weak witness protection mechanisms, conviction rates in terrorism and serious crimes were as low as one to two percent. Under the new reforms, **“faceless courts”** have been established, where witness identities will remain completely confidential except to the judge. This is expected to increase conviction rates by **50 to 60 percent**.
The cabinet expressed satisfaction over **merit-based recruitments through online tests** in the Finance Department and agreed to gradually introduce digitalized recruitment processes in other departments as well.

Other major decisions included the **abolition of the Religious Affairs Department** with staff to be adjusted in other departments, establishment of **two new divisions (Pishin and Koh-e-Suleman)**, administrative inclusion of **Ziarat into Loralai**, creation of **Municipal Committee Karbala in Pishin**, approval of evaluation policy for law officers, amendments to grant-in-aid policy for the Minority Affairs Department, measures to eliminate child labor, declaring higher technical education as an essential service, and verification of academic credentials of contract teachers.
The chief minister directed the **Chief Minister Inspection Team** to verify degrees of recently recruited contract teachers and ordered FIRs against fake degree holders, starting from **Naseerabad and Dera Bugti**.
The cabinet also approved making the **national curriculum part of the provincial curriculum from academic year 2027–26**, recruitment of mathematics, science, and English teachers on an ad hoc basis under the **Chief Minister Academic Excellence Program**, and passed the **Balochistan Protection and Promotion of Reproductive Health Rights Bill 2026**, aimed at improving maternal and child health and ensuring access to family planning and reproductive health services.

Additionally, a secretaries-level committee was formed to review the feasibility of establishing a **food street from Saleem Medical Complex to Imdad Chowk and from Taxi Stand to Liaquat Square**.
Concluding the meeting, Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti termed all cabinet decisions as a practical example of good governance, stating that **effective legislation and timely implementation are essential to restore public trust in the state**.