Families of Missing Persons Announce Protest Rally and Sit-in in Turbat

Quetta:In a press conference held at Turbat Press Club on Friday evening, Saghatullah Shah, leader of the Baloch Unity Committee, announced a protest rally and sit-in scheduled for Saturday, July 13th, in Turbat. The families of ten missing persons including Muslim Arif, Fatah Miyaar, Jehanzaib Fazal, Miran Hussain, Hayat Sabzal, Nasar Kareem, Dr. Rafiq Murad, Sameer Naamat, Jan Mohammad, Allah Ddad, and Wali Mohammad Hamza were present during the press conference.

They condemned the brutal violence against women and children in Quetta on previous days in strong terms. According to them, the families had initiated a protest sit-in on June 17th in Quetta for the recovery of their loved ones. Despite assurances from the authorities, no progress was made within the stipulated ten-day period. Consequently, they restarted the sit-in, leading to the formation of a JIT (Joint Investigation Team).

Shah expressed dissatisfaction with the JIT’s meetings, alleging they were merely a formality and did not yield any tangible results. He criticized the authorities for failing to produce evidence against the missing persons and claimed they were innocent victims unfairly targeted. In response to these frustrations, the families decided to resume their protest activities.

The rally is set to commence at 5:30 PM at Fida Chowk followed by a sit-in outside the DC office. Shah declared their intent for a rigorous protest and urged local forces, police, and law enforcement agencies not to interfere unnecessarily. He highlighted recent incidents involving the arrest of a polio-stricken disabled person, followed by drug charges, which he termed as unjustifiable.

The families appealed for restraint and emphasized that the actions of the police and agencies in Quetta were exacerbating the already dire situation in the city.