Feroz Baloch:A Tale Unheard
The story of a common Baloch student who was destined to be forcibly disappeared because of his voracious keenness towards education. He was acquainted with the fact that Baloch students are not safe in any nook and cranny of Pakistan. Despite this alarming reluctance, he optimistically left his hometown of Absor Balochistan and came to Islamabad, keeping in mind the fact that he may be safe here in Islamabad so he could do well in his studies, but he was oblivious to the state's policies regarding the heinous acts of enforced disappearance. Feroz Baloch, born on January 7, 2003, is the son of Noor Baksh, hailing from Absor Turbat. He received a matriculation certificate from the government boys high school Turbat. After completing his intermediate degree in pre-medical from the government inter-college Hushab, his father, Noor Baksh, decided to send Feroz Baloch to Rawalpindi for the continuation of his higher studies. Because his father felt that enforced disappearances were a common practice in Balochistan and he preferred the security of his son, Feroz Baloch was enrolled at Arid University Rawalpindi in the B.ED. department. Despite social differences from his hometown, he adopted the environment of Rawalpindi, and he singlemindedly focused on his studies, but he was quite unaware of the fact that he was basically from Balochistan, and every Baloch student is once or twice destined to be forcibly disappeared. The same was the case with Feroz Baloch when he completed his first semester with zeal and enthusiasm at Arid University. He regularly attended his classes, and mostly he was busy with his studies, whether he was in his room or the library.He was mostly seen in the library after his classes by the other Baloch students.
Coincidentally, on May 11, 2022, when he forcibly disappeared, he was also going to the library. His roommates were dejected when Feroz Baloch did not return after the closure of the library, and they were certain that Feroz Baloch had been forcibly disappeared by intelligence agencies. Baloch students requested the university administration to show the footage of the other cameras installed at different angles, but the university administration refused. Since May 11, 2022, his whereabouts are still unknown.Later on, when other enrolled Baloch students at Arid University went to a nearby police station to lodge an FIR against his disappearance, the police inspector refused to file the case, saying such cases are sensitive and they don't have the authority to file cases of forcibly disappeared Baloch students. Consequently, Imaan Mazari, an advocate of human rights, asked the police the reasons for not filing the FIR against Feroz Baloch's disappearance. Then, later police filed the case.Afterward, Feroz's parents were informed about the abduction of Feroz Baloch. They were shocked. They could not understand how their son, Feroz Baloch, could forcibly disappear from the safest city in Pakistan. His mother was unable to understand this shocking news. At that instant, when she was informed, she lost control of herself, and gradually her mental health worsened day by day. She became like the mother of all other Baloch missing persons. Because she has never expected such pain in her life. She has always been hopeful for her son's thriving future, but unknown to her, she is an ordinary Baloch who had to be familiar with the state's brutal policies of enforced disappearance. Two days later, after Feroz Baloch's abduction on May 13, 2022, the members of the Baloch Students Council Islamabad organised a Twitter campaign for the safe release of Feroz Baloch. Additionally, they shared a press release regarding the concerns over Feroz Baloch's life and highlighted the issues of Baloch students studying at various universities across Pakistan. On May 16, 2022, other Baloch students studying at the same university where Feroz Baloch was abducted boycotted their classes in solidarity with Feroz Baloch. Later, on May 19, 2022, Baloch students council Arid University organised a peace walk within the premises of the university to raise awareness among the students about Feroz Baloch's disappearance. Also, they demanded help from the university administration to locate Feroz Baloch, but they could not succeed in their efforts. After this despairing outcome, the members of the Baloch Students Council Islamabad moved towards the National Press Club Islamabad, where they arranged a large-scale protest. Feroz Baloch's father also joined them. In an interview with the renowned journalist Asad Ali Toor, he sadly said that his son Feroz Baloch was an intelligent student who was always concerned about his studies. He said Feroz Baloch never did any act that went against the law. He requested that the judicial system of the state help him recover his son.and did not gain any coverage from the mainstream media. Feroz Baloch remained missing. Baloch students of ARID University organised a protest at the main gate of the university. They then commenced a hunger strike for the safe recovery of Feroz Baloch, demanding the university administration take action against his illegal abduction. After three days of hunger strike, the university administration accepted all the demands of the Baloch students and ensured the recovery of Feroz Baloch within two days. According to advocate Imaan Mazari, the family of Feroz Baloch requested the Lahore High Court Rawalpindi bench hear their son’s abduction case. However, their pleas were continuously rejected, and they were ordered to present their case on different dates, but no productive outcome has been achieved by the High Court thus far. Iman Mazari presented a list of forcibly disappeared persons to the court, in which Feroz Baloch's name was mentioned. In this petition, the government declared that Feroz had been recovered, which wasn't true. Feroz's parents rejected this claim, asserting that he is still missing and hasn't returned home.Furthermore, she stated that, after numerous appearances in court, the government finally acknowledged that Feroz was still missing. Despite providing all the details and cases related to Feroz Baloch and other Baloch students, the court has yet to provide any satisfactory result for the safe recovery of Feroz Baloch.
After these protests, hunger strikes, and court proceedings, Feroz Baloch's mother released a video message appealing to human rights organisations to become their voices for the safe recovery of her son. Noor Baksh also emphasised his increasing concerns over his son's abduction. He continuously protested in Islamabad for the safe recovery of his son and appeared in front of the high court to present his son’s case and ensure his safe recovery. Unfortunately, Feroz Baloch remains a victim of enforced disappearance today.Feroz Baloch's family is enduring unbearable pain, but the judicial system of Pakistan never acknowledges the brutal policies of the intelligence agencies. Similarly, there are many cases of Baloch students who were abducted by Pakistani agencies, and from the date of their abduction until now, they have remained in the torture cells of the Pakistani state. Baloch youth continue to protest against this inhumane act and strive for their safe survival in their respective provinces. However, in this colonised society, they are subjected to violence for speaking out against it; they are tortured simply for being Baloch. Balochistan, a war-torn land, suffers from all these cases of enforced disappearance. People are protesting against all these injustices. Mostly, Baloch youths are suffering from enforced disappearances, harassment, and profiling all over Pakistan. They are not safe anywhere. Now, two years are about to pass since Feroz's abduction, but he is still in a dark torture cell, facing all the brutalities of the state as a Baloch. All human rights activists, lawyers, and organisations are requested to raise their voices for Feroz Baloch and other Baloch students so that they remain safe all over Pakistan, as all other students are safe in the country.