World News | Baloch Students Continue to Protest Against Enforced Disappearances, College Shutdown
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. Protests against enforced disappearances and the closure of Bolan Medical College (BMC) and its hostel persist in Uthal and Quetta, Balochistan. Students at LUAWMS demand the recovery of missing student Bayandur Baloch, detained alongside three friends, while BMC students call for reopening their college and hostels. Accusations of police and security forces unlawfully seizing hostels have fuelled outrage, with students vowing to escalate their protests if demands remain unmet.
Quetta [Balochistan], December 7 (ANI): Protests by students against enforced disappearances and the closure of Bolan Medical College (BMC) and its hostel continued in Uthal and Quetta on Friday.
Students at Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water, and Marine Sciences (LUAWMS) in Uthal have been protesting for six consecutive days, demanding the recovery of their missing fellow student, Bayandur Baloch, The Balochistan Post reported.
Bayandur, a student in the university's Agriculture Department, was reportedly detained along with three friends from Uthal Bazaar a few days ago. While his friends were released, Bayandur remains in detention.
A sit-in has been organised outside the university, with Bayandur's father joining the protest. He expressed deep concern for his son's safety and called for his immediate release.
Protesters have boycotted classes and exams, accusing the university administration of pressuring them to sit for midterm exams despite their ongoing demonstration, reported The Balochistan Post reported.
Meanwhile, in Quetta, students at Bolan Medical College have been protesting for nine days, demanding the reopening of the college and its hostels, as well as the release of detained students.
Protesters allege that police and university administrators have colluded with security forces to unlawfully "seize" the hostels.
A student at the protest declared, "This demonstration is a fight for our rights. We will not back down under any circumstances."
Students warned they would escalate their protests across Balochistan if their demands are not met. "We will continue this sit-in until the hostels and college are reopened, and the detained students are released," they stated.
Enforced disappearances remain a grave issue in Balochistan, with reports indicating over 55,000 missing persons and thousands found dead. Human rights organisations, including the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances and Amnesty International, have frequently criticised Pakistani military forces and intelligence agencies for their alleged involvement in these abductions. (ANI)
(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)