Protest over 'forced disappearance' blocks CPEC highway in Pakistan

A protest in Balochistan's Kech district over the alleged forced disappearance of four family members, including a pregnant woman, has blocked a critical section of the CPEC highway for a second consecutive day, halting major traffic routes.

A sit-in protest concerning the alleged forced disappearance of four family members, including two women, has reached its second day on Wednesday, resulting in a critical section of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) highway remaining shut for a second straight day, as reported by The Balochistan Post (TBP).

The demonstration, which occurred at Karki Tejaban and Heronk in the Kech district, has halted traffic in both directions between Turbat, Quetta, Panjgur, Awaran, Kolwah, and Hoshap, resulting in extensive vehicle queues along the route. Family members stated that the individuals who are missing include 27-year-old Hani Dilwash, who is eight months pregnant; 17-year-old Hairnisa, daughter of Abdul Wahid; 18-year-old Mujahid Dilwash; and 18-year-old Fareed Ijaz. They claimed that Hani and Hairnisa were taken during a pre-dawn raid in Hub Chowki earlier this week, while the other two were abducted in the Kech district.

Blockade Continues as Negotiations Stall

Late Tuesday night, a negotiation team headed by the Assistant Commissioner of Turbat arrived at the protest site to discuss with the demonstrators. However, family members reported that no advancements were made, and the blockade of the CPEC highway continues, as cited in the TBP report.

Protesters declared they would persist with their sit-in until all four individuals were safely returned.

Wider Campaign Against Enforced Disappearances

This demonstration coincides with a parallel five-day campaign by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) across Balochistan, which addresses what it calls an increase in enforced disappearances of Baloch women.

Activist Decries 'Troubling Escalation'

Baloch activist and BYC leader Sammi Deen Baloch remarked that the disappearance of the four family members signifies what she referred to as a troubling escalation in the targeting of women and girls, according to TBP. "Enforced disappearances have now reached a level of extreme seriousness and alarm," she asserted, cautioning that the ongoing non-recovery of Hani Dilwash and Hairnisa has once more raised the issue of whether women in Balochistan are truly safe anymore. "

She noted that this situation has placed families under significant psychological strain and accused the state of wielding "the constitution and the law as instruments of oppression". "For these affected families, protesting is the only option left," she concluded, calling on individuals from all sectors to support this family and amplify their voices for them, as stated in the TBP report.

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