Quetta [Pakistan], June 17 : The long-running protest camp led by Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) in Quetta reached its 5,853rd day on Sunday, drawing continued support and solidarity from people across diverse communities, as reported by The Balochistan Post. The camp, established to demand justice for victims of enforced disappearances in Balochistan, remains a powerful symbol of resistance against systemic human rights violations.
Speaking to visitors at the camp, VBMP Vice Chairman Mama Qadeer Baloch said that enforced disappearances and custodial killings have become "routine actions of state institutions." He strongly condemned the recent death of Salam s/o Haidar, a resident of Gatti Dhor, Gwadar, who was allegedly killed in custody on June 15, 2025, following his abduction by security forces. Salam's body was later returned to his family with strict instructions to bury him quietly, without public notice.
"In some cases," says Mama Qadeer, "families aren't even allowed to receive the remains. Instead, the bodies are handed over to the Edhi Foundation for anonymous burial. This is a double injustice, first the disappearance, then denying families the right to grieve and bury their loved ones with dignity."
He expressed deep concern over the reported complicity of the Edhi Foundation, accusing it of enabling the erasure of state crimes by accepting unidentified bodies without verification. "The Foundation has a moral duty not to become a tool in concealing evidence of enforced disappearances. We have detailed records of every missing person," he said. The Edhi Foundation can and should coordinate with us to identify bodies before proceeding with burials."
Mama Qadeer emphasised that in today's age, DNA testing and modern forensic methods can easily be employed to ensure proper identification. "Yet the state prefers to bury truth in unmarked graves," he added, warning that such practices only deepen societal trauma and injustice.
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