Quetta Protests Highlight Missing Persons Crisis
The protests in Quetta have highlighted the need for urgent action to address the missing persons crisis, with international human rights groups calling for accountability and an end to the crackdown on political activists in Balochistan. The crisis persists, with thousands missing over two decades, and families continue to search for loved ones, making it essential for the state to take immediate measures to reform its justice system and ensure justice for the victims.
Protests erupted in Quetta, Balochistan, against the detention of human rights defenders and leaders of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, drawing attention to the ongoing missing persons crisis in the region. The crisis has become a deeply personal and sensitive matter for thousands of families, with enforced disappearances persisting despite protests and appeals for accountability.
The phenomenon of enforced disappearances is not limited to Balochistan, but has its roots in Pakistan's history of insurgency, underdevelopment, and alienation. Structural deficiencies in the country's criminal justice system, including weak investigative processes and incompetent prosecution services, have contributed to the crisis. Many arrests are made without sufficient evidence, and cases often collapse in court due to lack of preparation and political pressure.
Recent cases of enforced disappearances have raised concerns about the targeting of minors and intimidation tactics by security forces. A PPL employee and a school-aged boy, Haider Bugti and Abdullah Abid, were kidnapped by suspected security forces, and their current locations are unknown. The abductions have reignited fears among Baloch communities, who accuse the state of quelling dissent through extrajudicial means.
To address the crisis, Pakistan needs to reform its justice system by strengthening investigative capacity, training prosecutors, and ensuring that every arrested individual is presented before a court of law within the constitutionally mandated timeframe. A national conversation rooted in fact, empathy, and constitutional responsibility is needed to address the crisis and tackle the deeper grievances that have fueled alienation and conflict in Balochistan.
The missing persons issue is a symptom of a larger fracture between the state and parts of its citizenry, and healing this fracture requires a multi-pronged strategy of reconciliation, constitutional empowerment, and inclusive development. The state must rebuild trust, strengthen its legitimacy, and reassert its commitment to constitutionalism and human dignity to resolve the crisis and ensure justice for the families of the missing persons.