Not only does the new CM term enforced disappearances as self-disappearances, but also calls the families and other actors in their struggle to curb EDs merely an ‘exaggerated political agenda’ and ‘baseless propagation’. This is very pathetic of the so-called CM and the other war beneficiaries in Balochistan. For the last two decades in particular, enforced disappearances have not only turned out to be a very grave issue in Pakistan but across the world.

Balochistan, administered as a province in Pakistan, is termed as the ‘home of enforced disappearances’ where thousands of political activists, journalists, teachers, professors, doctors, human rights activists, sportsmen, students, and people from every walk of life have become the soft and hard state targets, including extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances that top the list.

People go disappeared violently by law enforcement agencies in broad daylight and late nights from their homes, workplaces, markets, journeys, and every other area. Other fellow people witness everything with their eyes, as the ‘custodians of the constitution’, but no one speaks and acts against them in fear. The bills on tables have themselves disappeared. The same has been the case with the bill-presenters and other ministers at the state level. Everyone who speaks of curbing enforced disappearances becomes themselves the next target. That is how EDs have become a norm in Pakistan, particularly in the most impoverished province of Balochistan.

Amidst such uncertain situations, instead of neutrally putting efforts into resolving the missing persons’ issue, the coming-in-power of a politician – Sarfraz Bugti – as the superior minister in the province who has always been opposed to the critics on enforced disappearances and its actors has further increased the concerns of the families of the abducted people. Not only are the lives of their loved ones, behind illegal bars, insecure, but the peaceful struggles of thousands of families, who turn to either roads or press clubs on special or casual occasions, are eyed outside the legal lenses.

The previous so-called Joint Investigation Teams (JITs) had already mocked the families and threatened them not to quest for their loved ones; now a person like Sarfraz acting as CM is further intensifying the situations and discouraging the families from quitting their struggles. However, the families would never quit something that renders them hope to get back their loved ones from the state dungeons.

However, such incidents have done somewhat well to reveal the faces of the parliamentarians who have used the issue of “missing persons” for their political goals and agendas to increase their vote banks. For instance, Dr. Abdul Malik’s National Party (NP) had put the resolution of “Baloch missing persons” in his party manifesto before the elections. In every campaign they arranged, they used the name of missing persons to score points. But in the recent visit to his home, ‘CM’ manipulates the issue and calls it the opposite, the former CM seems to be in no concern and maintains silence. Silence is usually tantamount to endorsing the situation or statements.

While many believed Bugti was the guest of the former CM which compelled him to maintain silence, but that does not mean someone comes as a guest and shatters all your political programs and you only look at his face without saying anything. Not necessarily at the meantime, but even after the ‘false and frivolous statement’ of the present CM, Dr. Malik, or his party, seemed reluctant to negate the statement.

While the other pro-parliamentary parties have been on the same boat. That is how the temporary power-gaining process is being practiced here in Balochistan. The best of all, people in Balochistan have long lost faith in the parliamentary political parties. Such events further fuel the hatred. These parties have only become tools to further the Baloch genocidal policies and have no role in bringing any peace or development for the people of the province.

The masses, on the other hand, have been noting everything. For now, they only look for their loved ones behind illegal state bars. In the times to come, they are likely to act against all such state actors who have been directly or indirectly involved in anti-Baloch policies. As far as Sarfraz Bugti is concerned, if he cannot show grief and accept his helplessness before the LEAs, he has no right to mock the families either. Last but not least, Bugti has never been the people’s CM, but of those who have installed him over the people of Balochistan.

The writer is a lawyer and journalist based in Turbat. He tweets on X as @Alijanmaqsood12

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 The views expressed by the writer do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Daily Balochistan Express and All facts and information are the sole responsibility of the writer.