Quetta [Balochistan], December 7 : Protests by students against enforced disappearances and the closure of Bolan Medical College (BMC) and its hostel continued in Uthal and Quetta on Friday.
Students at Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water, and Marine Sciences (LUAWMS) in Uthal have been protesting for six consecutive days, demanding the recovery of their missing fellow student, Bayandur Baloch, The Balochistan Post reported.
Bayandur, a student in the university's Agriculture Department, was reportedly detained along with three friends from Uthal Bazaar a few days ago. While his friends were released, Bayandur remains in detention.
A sit-in has been organised outside the university, with Bayandur's father joining the protest. He expressed deep concern for his son's safety and called for his immediate release.
Protesters have boycotted classes and exams, accusing the university administration of pressuring them to sit for midterm exams despite their ongoing demonstration, reported The Balochistan Post reported.
Meanwhile, in Quetta, students at Bolan Medical College have been protesting for nine days, demanding the reopening of the college and its hostels, as well as the release of detained students.
Protesters allege that police and university administrators have colluded with security forces to unlawfully "seize" the hostels.
A student at the protest declared, "This demonstration is a fight for our rights. We will not back down under any circumstances."
Students warned they would escalate their protests across Balochistan if their demands are not met. "We will continue this sit-in until the hostels and college are reopened, and the detained students are released," they stated.
Enforced disappearances remain a grave issue in Balochistan, with reports indicating over 55,000 missing persons and thousands found dead. Human rights organisations, including the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances and Amnesty International, have frequently criticised Pakistani military forces and intelligence agencies for their alleged involvement in these abductions.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor