Pak: Protest in Awaran demands safe return of Diljan Baloch amid intimidation by security forces

QUETTA: A sit-in protest outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Awaran, Balochistan continued to demand the recovery of Diljan Baloch, who was allegedly taken by Pakistan’s armed forces.
The locals in the Teertaj neighbourhood of Awaran claimed that Diljan Baloch was taken into custody on June 12 by Pakistsecurity personnel. His family and the locals have continued to call for his safe return, but his whereabouts have remained a mystery since then, as reported by The Balochistan Post.
Women and children among the demonstrators claimed to have been threatened and intimidated by security personnel into calling off their protest.However, they declared that they would continue their protest, which entered the second day for Diljan Baloch’s safe return.
Hazaran Rahim Dad, a Baloch poet and writer known for emphasising the struggles of families impacted by enforced disappearances, recently expressed the challenges faced by these families on X:
“Diljan Baloch was enforced and disappeared by security forces from his hometown Awaran on June 12, 2024. For his safe release, his family and locals are protesting for the second day in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Awaran. Local accounts report that LEAs are continuously threatening the family to call off the sit-in.”
The Baloch Women Forum (BWF), a forum working for Baloch women’s rights, issued a statement expressing their support for Diljan Baloch’s family and condemning the reported intimidation by authorities.
They said, “We denounce the harassment of family members during the protest in Awaran by LEAs. The Baloch Women Forum Awaran Zone stands in solidarity with the family of Diljan Baloch, a victim of enforced disappearance from Awaran Teertej on June 12th. The rally-turned-protest in Awaran is a beacon of hope for justice and accountability as it challenges the illegal state writ of extrajudicial arrests.”
They also highlighted how Pakistan’s armed forces are doing everything to stop this protest, raising concerns that state forces may resort to using force to dismantle it.
They have already halted the supply of water and food by harassing the protesters, disrupting their basic rights to movement and protest. Additionally, families are being threatened with undesirable consequences if the protest is not brought to an end.
The BWF also urged the people of Awaran to join the family in the protest and demanded the immediate release of Diljan while calling for an end to the heinous practice of enforced disappearances.
They further stated, “It is high time we stood united against such barbarism. Every voice, every presence, and every effort counts in saving the life of this innocent man, cruelly lost in the dark dungeons of oppression.”