Missing persons issue being used as organised campaign: Jan Achakzai

QUETTA: Caretaker Balochistan Information Minister Jan Achakzai on Wednesday claimed that the issue of Baloch missing persons was being used as an organised campaign against the state, ARY News reported.

The interim minister made these remarks while addressing a press conference, wherein he shared the report of Baloch Enforced Disappearance Commission on the missing persons.

“The report has shut the missing persons propaganda,” Jan Achakzai said, adding that the commission’s report has been presented before the Supreme Court.

Quoting the report, the minister said nearly 10,000 cases related to enforced disappearance were lodged. “Almost 8,000 cases have been solved while 2,200 cases were still pending,” he added.

In Balochistan, Achakzai said 2,752 cases were lodged, noting that besides other reasons, fleeing abroad without informing their families, due to the prevailing situation in the province, was among the causes of these cases.

He further said that 2,200 ‘missing persons’ have returned – as only 468 citizens are still missing.

According to the report, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported 3,485 cases of missing persons, making it the highest number in the country. Causalities in drone attacks and the spike in militancy were the key reasons behind the disappearances, read the report.

“The commission issued 744 production orders out of which 52 have been implemented by the addresses, while the remaining 692 production orders are yet to the executed by the quarters concerned,” the report stated.

Speaking on a conspiracy, Jan Achakzai claimed that the issue of Baloch missing persons was being used as an organised campaign against the state.

He claimed that Dr Mahrang Baloch, a human rights activist who is leading Baloch Yakjehti Committee’s (BYC) camp in Islamabad, wants to move abroad on asylum.

“She wants to get asylum in any foreign country by getting a visa,” he said, adding that Mahrang wants to become Malala II.