Islamabad: The relatives and well wishers of at least 15 disappeared Baloch activists held a press briefing at the National Press Club on Wednesday under the auspices of the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons at the conclusion of their 10 day protest camp in the federal capital. The briefing was also held to coincide with the latest Supreme Court hearing in the missing persons case, which took place on Wednesday morning. Speaking at the briefing, VBMP Chairperson Nasrullah Baloch said: “This is the second time we have set-up a protest camp to call attention to the plight of thousands of Baloch, who have gone missing over the past few years.”He said that exactly a year ago a delegation of the VBMP spent two weeks in Islamabad and also attended a hearing at the Supreme Court. “Justice Javed Iqbal gave us assurances at the time that things would improve and our loved ones would be recovered, but instead over the next 12 months the situation in Balochistan has deteriorated further.” Nasrullah Baloch said that not only have abductions continued, but in fact a new reign of terror has spread throughout the province as mutilated bodies of abducted youth are being found on almost a daily basis. VBMP Vice Chairman Qadeer Baloch said that it appears as if the majority of the Baloch people who want peace and stability are being deliberately radicalised by the actions of the security agencies. He said that the families of the young men who have been abducted only want to know where their loved ones are and for them to be charged openly in a court of law if they are accused of committing any crime. He said that these are very basic demands yet by not only ignoring the plight of the families but in fact rubbing salt in their wounds by committing brutal acts of violence against innocent abductees, the state is breeding enormous resentment within ordinary Baloch people and creating fertile ground for separatist movements. A number of women — sisters and mothers of abducted youth — are part of the delegation and narrated their sordid tales to the press on the occasion.Farzana Bibi, sister of kidnapped Baloch Students Organisation leader Zakir Majeed, said that all of the purported defenders of the law should be put on trial as it is the security agencies that claim to be defenders of the people that are abducting thousands of innocents with impunity.She said that the only law in Pakistan is the law of the jungle and the pretence of law and justice should be put to rest forever if the Supreme Court does not have the power to demand the immediate recovery of all missing persons. The VBMP representatives said that their struggle would continue until each and every missing Baloch student and political activist was recovered. They said that no amount of intimidation and harassment would deter them from their mission and said that the ball is now in the court of those who claim to be defenders of democracy and the rule of law to ensure resolution for thousands of families who have been suffering incessantly for many years and are increasingly losing faith in the ability and willingness of the state to dispense justice.
