Usama Asghar
It’s an old tradition in this country that those who enter the opposition often become staunch supporters of democracy and human rights. Currently, the PTI stands at the forefront, protesting the role of the establishment in mainstream politics, the suppression of dissenting voices, and offering vivid support to the Balochistan protestors in Islamabad demanding information about their loved ones. When PTI was in government, enjoying its best days as if there were no tomorrow, it responded differently. When the Hazara community protested against the genocide they faced, then-PM Imran Khan called them blackmailers and refused to engage with them. PTI silenced what are now loud voices.
However, a similar silence is now noticeable in another major mainstream political party, PML(N). As winds blow toward Raiwind, there’s a potential possibility that Nawaz Sharif is soon to be back in power, a speculation even blind people can see. When they were in the opposition, they became the voice of the disappeared people in Pakistan. Maryam Nawaz sat with the oppressed people, offering strong condemnations. But today, their silence speaks volumes.
Another political party that has faced numerous atrocities, PPP, is now quiet. Last year, when Bilawal Bhutto Zardari appeared at the Asma Jahangir conference, Baloch students and representatives shouted slogans for their missing loved ones. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said, “It’s not us who abducted them.”
For decades, these tricks have been repeated by political parties.
People last saw their fathers when they were children; now, they have become adults, completed their studies, gotten married, and had kids. Yet, they are still searching for their ‘missing’ loved ones. The recent outburst in Islamabad was anticipated. The city and its vicinity were aware of this reaction, filling water tanks and loading gas shells to obstruct them. The brutality exercised by Islamabad police on innocent people seeking answers has exposed the true nature of the state. It was their answer to the protestors: ‘You don’t belong here.’
Women were abused, men were beaten, and children were dragged. The state thought women alone would not come out asking for their natural rights. They were surprised to face a woman-led march, led by Mahranag Baloch, one of the many people from the province whose family members have been forcibly disappeared.
Although civil societies, the legal community, and journalists stood with them, it was not enough. At this moment, they needed the support of those who once sat with them and made promises to find their people. Although they didn’t show up, it should be understood that they have been exposed to the situation. They were never sympathetic; all they had was a purpose behind it, to use them for their own political agenda. Once these people faced unimaginable atrocities, they were given false hopes, and, lastly, they were left alone when the moment of fight came.
The Balochistan missing person issue has always been the elephant in the room. Military dictatorships have come and gone, civil governments have come into power and been dethroned, new world orders have been made, but this issue has always been in the background. One reason for the issue being on the back burner is the support of undemocratic forces, unsatisfied with entrusting this matter to civil hands. The second reason is the persistent reluctance of governments to address the involvement of powerful entities, allowing undemocratic forces to evade accountability for their actions. Regardless of the country’s challenges, we often hold the wrong individuals accountable, those specifically tasked with handling such issues.
Before exploring solutions to the ‘missing person’ problem, it’s essential to recognize that protests didn’t occur in Rawalpindi. If they had, one could argue a lack of faith in the parliament. However, as the issue unfolds in the city of the PM house, parliament, and the Supreme Court, it becomes evident that the only viable solution lies within civil bodies. As the country heads to the polls, gearing up for a new premier, political stability is now more critical than ever. It stands as the only viable solution to the quagmire this nation has faced. Before the new government implements its plan, it should remind itself that the Baloch people have endured enough. This time, the focus should not be solely on the next elections but on rectifying past mistakes. It’s time to avoid being fooled repeatedly, akin to an old man with three quarrelsome sons who found harmony by staying together, much like binding woods that make them unbeatable.
For political parties to defeat undemocratic forces, they must unite. After achieving political stability, they can effectively address the elephant in the room—the Balochistan issue. It should be their top priority, as the people in the capital aren’t demanding mere infrastructure but basic rights like a fair trial and freedom. Disappearances don’t just inflict pain on the individuals; they torment entire families, left waiting in agony, unsure if their loved ones will return.
They should fear that these demonstrators have faced the worst; they have lost everything, and no power can shake them now. It’s just one Mahranag Baloch who led the protest and exposed the state and deep state. They should fear the day when there will be hundreds of Mahranags with their caravans entering the twin cities. On that day, no one will have a place to hide. And that day is just around the corner.
The writer is a freelance columnist.
