Amid an unprecedented wave of disappearances in Balochistan, Pakistan’s biggest province, 200 individuals have been arrested during a march entering the country’s capital, Islamabad. Those arrested were part of a massive protest that has been going around the whole country, demanding transparency in a case involving a man who was allegedly killed by a terrorist group.

During their entrance to Islamabad, protesters were not able to enter the “Red Zone”, an area of the city center that houses the country’s branches of government. Instead, protesters were received with police violence, tear gas, and batons. The leader of the protest told the B.B.C. that the march “[had] started more than 26 days ago. We are hundreds and thousands of mothers, sisters, and daughters of men [who] disappeared or [were] killed.”

Unfortunately, these disappearances are not something that started occurring overnight. According to records, these events have occurred since the early 2000s, coinciding with the birth of the Balochistan nationalist movement, which seeks independence from Pakistan.

Furthermore, the state seems to have something to do with these illegal acts. These so-called enforced disappearances in Balochistan – Pakistan’s largest province – refer to undeclared arrests allegedly made by intelligence services, that cannot be traced by courts and are not acknowledged by the government. Alleged victims have included political workers, journalists, human rights activists, and students.

This is not the first time in history that a state has arrested a political dissident that disappeared without leaving any trace. It is something that has unfortunately not been able to deter, despite the many international agreements engaging state actors to obey certain human rights.

Even if the United Nations or the international community cannot infringe Pakistan’s inherent national sovereignty, it is encouraged that international actors attempt to become a mediator between the Pakistani government, the family of those who have disappeared, and the Balochistan nationalist movement. A common ground between these three actors can be the deterrent of these forced disappearances in Balochistan.

The drop that spilled the glass was Balack Mola Bakhsh’s case. This 24-year-old was arrested by the counter-terrorism police on October 29^th. After being under custody for a month, the authorities charged him with the possession of explosives. On November 23^rd, the police informed that four alleged terrorists from a “group”, including Baksh, had been killed during a shooting with the police in Turbat. Baksh’s family refutes such an argument, claiming that those who killed their son were the police.

While there has not yet been any response from the government, the pursuit of truth by these protesters does not seem to stop any time soon. The group’s leader declared that “[The authorities] will do anything to stop us, but we will not stop. We all are peaceful protesters and we will remain peaceful, even [when] they’re not peaceful to us.” The participation of the international community is still to be expected, which will seek peace and the rule of law in Pakistan.