Two minor girls missing in Pakistan, parents protest

ISLAMABAD: Two minor female students have allegedly gone missing while going to school in Tando Muhammad Khan district, Pakistan vernacular media reported. According to Pakistan Daily, Jasarat, the two female students, 16-year-old Dua Chandio and 13-year-old Muzamil Fatima Chandio, have allegedly gone missing while going to school.

The families protested against the incident in front of the press club and shouting slogans, Ali Asghar, the father of the missing girls, told reporters that his two daughters went to school yesterday and could not return home, which was also reported to the police, as per Jasarat.

However, the police have not recovered his daughters so far. His daughters have been abducted by a man named Akbar Abro. The protestors have demanded that the daughters should be recovered and the accused Akbar Abro should be arrested as soon as possible, according to Jasarat. Such incidents of people going missing are common in Pakistan.

A couple of days ago ‘Voice for Baloch Missing Persons’ held a protest rally in Quetta against fake encounters and forced disappearances, Pakistan vernacular media Urdu Point reported. The protesters called for the recovery of missing people. The protest rally was held in Quetta under the leadership of Mama Qadeer and Huran Baloch. A demonstration was held in front of the Quetta Press Club, as per the Urdu Point report.

During the Eid celebrations in Pakistan, various groups and families of missing persons, student organizations, and political parties, held protests in Balochistan and Islamabad, demanding action on enforced disappearances, Balochistan Post reported.

Demonstrators from diverse backgrounds called for the safe recovery of missing persons and an end to the long-standing issue of enforced disappearances in Balochistan, as per the news report. In Turbat, a protest against enforced disappearances was organised by the Baloch Students Organization (BSO) and families of missing persons, addressing “state oppression and violence towards the Baloch nation”.

The protesters said the primary purpose of their demonstration was to unveil the “state’s oppressive” actions against the Baloch people on both national and international levels. They called on the civilised nations to take action to prevent further injustice and oppression faced by the people of Balochistan, Balochistan Post reported.

The participants in the Turbat protest also underscored the need for the state to reassess its policies before the situation worsens further. They highlighted the resilience of the Baloch people, who have a long history of resisting oppression and are determined to ensure their survival. In Khuzdar, families of forcibly disappeared individuals held a protest on Eid and called for the safe return of their relatives and accountability for those responsible for the enforced disappearances.

As per the Balochistan Post report, the protest, held at Shaheed Abdul Razzaq Chowk, was reportedly met with harassment from Frontier Corps personnel. Grieving families expressed their distress over forced disappearances by state authorities, opting to protest instead of celebrating Eid.