Pakistan fails to answer as VBMP's longest human rights protest exposes deepening crisis

Balochistan [Pakistan] November 16 (ANI): The Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) has completed 6,000 days of continuous protest in Quetta, marking one of Pakistan's longest-running human rights campaigns. Families of the disappeared have gathered outside the Quetta Press Club for nearly sixteen years, holding photographs and documents as they wait for answers that remain elusive. This prolonged vigil reflects deep frustration over the state's unwillingness to acknowledge, investigate, or resolve cases of enforced disappearances, as reported by The Balochistan Post.

According to The Balochistan Post, the milestone comes two years after VBMP marked 5,000 days of protest. Even then, the organisation described its struggle as a long and exhausting effort carried out peacefully. Families from distant districts travelled to stand with VBMP leaders Nasrullah Baloch and Mama Qadeer Baloch, recounting how years had passed without legal clarity or official confirmation about the fate of their relatives. This persistent uncertainty has continued to shape the movement's narrative.

VBMP's activism later expanded beyond Quetta. Its long march from Quetta to Islamabad, a journey of hundreds of kilometres, brought national attention to enforced disappearances and became an emblem of the group's resilience. Families walked for weeks to petition state institutions directly, hoping to break the silence surrounding missing persons.

However, in its latest statement marking 6,000 days, VBMP says little has changed in practical terms. Complaints and testimonies submitted to courts and commissions have not resulted in consistent accountability. The group alleges that families still face procedural roadblocks, prolonged uncertainty, and even intimidation. VBMP has also criticised the use of counterterrorism laws against its activists, arguing that such actions hinder lawful efforts to trace detainees, as highlighted by The Balochistan Post.

Human rights organisations inside Pakistan and abroad continue to warn about systematic disappearances in Balochistan, pointing to weak oversight and broad security powers. Despite these challenges, the Quetta protest camp remains peaceful, open to visitors, and a place where new cases are documented daily, as reported by The Balochistan Post. (ANI)

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