The sit-in protest demanding the recovery of missing Diljaan Baloch continued for the eighth consecutive day outside the Deputy Commissioner’s (DC) Complex in Awaran, with the families resolute in their stance.
The family has declared that the DC Complex will remain completely shut for any activities until Diljaan Baloch is safely recovered. Diljaan, a resident of Awaran, was reportedly taken into custody by Pakistani forces on June 12, 2024, and has since remained missing, with no information on his whereabouts or condition.
In a show of solidarity, Sammi Deen Baloch, a leader of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), joined the protest, standing alongside the family and voicing their demands. She criticized the authorities for intimidating and harassing the protesters in an attempt to end the sit-in. Protesters have alleged that officials dismantled their tents, forcing them to continue their demonstration under the open sky.
Sammi Deen further stated that the family of missing Diljaan Baloch has protested multiple times before, facing neglect and apathy from authorities. She condemned the mainstream media for failing to ask critical questions about enforced disappearances in Balochistan, saying, “If the mainstream media were to ask the families of the victims about enforced disappearances in Balochistan instead of Balochistan’s ministers, they would understand the true plight of these families. But the people of underdeveloped regions like Awaran rarely become a focus for Pakistan’s mainstream media.”