Protests erupt in Balochistan over duo's abduction, activists accuse Pak

Balochistan [Pakistan], June 4 : A demonstration was staged in Basima, Washuk district, on Tuesday, calling for the quick release of Mahjabeen Baloch and her brother, Younus Baloch, who were kidnapped by Pakistani security forces, according to a report by The Balochistan Post (TBP).

A wide range of people, including women, students, senior citizens, and representatives of civil society organisations, participated in the protest, which was staged on Basima's main square.

Photographs of the missing siblings and signs with the words "Stop Enforced Disappearances" and "Bring Our Loved Ones Back" were carried by protesters.

According to TBP, they also sang chants criticising Pakistani governmental policies and security forces in Balochistan.

Protesters threatened to begin a province-wide protest movement if Mahjabeen and Younus were not freed within the allotted 24-hour period. According to the TBP report, they also issued a warning that the state and its institutions would be held fully accountable if Mahjabeen or Younus suffered any harm.

Ruqia Baloch, Mahjabeen's sister, spoke to the audience and said the family was still dealing with the trauma. Instead of putting Mahjabeen and Younus in unlawful imprisonment, she urged authorities to bring them before a court if charges are filed. According to the family, Younus Baloch was kidnapped from their Basima house on May 24. Mahjabeen, a University of Balochistan student studying library science, was abducted from Quetta Civil Hospital Hostel early on May 29.

The family claims that intelligence and security officers searched the hostel without a warrant and that no explanation has been given since. The TBP report noted that no formal inquiry has been reported and that neither brother has been brought before a court.

The illegal imprisonment of a Baloch woman for days without any charges, information, or court order was denounced by the Baloch Women Forum (BWF), which called Mahjabeen's detention an "act of cowardice." The BWF issued a statement demanding Mahjabeen's immediate release, saying, "This is becoming intolerable and intense."

"The state is blatantly continuing genocide against the Baloch," stated Sabiha Baloch, a key leader of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC). According to TBP, it is "forcibly disappearing our youth in broad daylight and under the cover of darkness, starting to target women and children."

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