Baloch marchers reach near Rawalpindi

Participants of a march held by relatives of the Baloch missing persons are just a few kilometres away from the federal capital, and it is expected that they will either enter Islamabad or Rawalpindi on Friday.

It is pertinent to mention here that the relatives of missing persons started their march from Quetta Press Club on October 27, 2013. Mama Qadeer Baloch, who is heading the march, told Dawn that he was eight kilometres behind Rawat and was determined to reach Islamabad.

“I received threatening phone calls and text messages but still we are continuing the march,” he said.

“As many as 60 persons started on foot from Quetta, but because of the long journey, some people fell ill. Some were unable to walk further so they stopped at various cities,” Mama Qadeer added.

“At the moment, there are nine women, three children and four men, including myself. Moreover, a large number of people are receiving us at every village, and they also accompany us for several kilometres,” he said.

Currently, the number of participants has started increasing as civil society activists and people from Balochistan, Kashmir and nearby areas are also joining us.

Various civil society organisations and human rights activists of the federal capital are also planning to receive the participants of the march.

Human rights activist Tahira Abdullah, while talking to Dawn, said: “We are sure that the sacrifices of the relatives of missing persons will be fruitful and it will have a positive effect on the people of Pakistan.” A senior police officer, requesting anonymity, said strict security measures were being taken as any incident might be embarrassing for the law enforcement agencies. “The number of participants has started increasing, due to which extremists can also take advantage. So some of the officials have also been deputed in plain clothes to march along with the participants,” he said. “We are getting information that the march might go to Rawalpindi and then come to Islamabad,” the officer added.

Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights Chairman Afrasiab Khattak and other members have also announced that they would receive the participants of the march in Islamabad.