ISLAMABAD: Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti said on Tuesday his government had put in place a new framework to address the long-running issue of missing persons in the province, a problem that has fueled anger, protests and allegations of enforced disappearances for decades.
Bugti was speaking while chairing a provincial cabinet meeting that approved new detention and investigation rules, under which suspects would be questioned at designated centers under the supervision of authorized police officers, with families allowed to meet those held in custody, according to an official statement.
The issue of missing persons — particularly in Balochistan — has been one of Pakistan’s most sensitive human rights concerns. Families of missing individuals and rights groups have long accused security agencies of enforced disappearances during counter-insurgency operations, allegations the state has repeatedly denied, saying people have either joined militant groups or fled the country.
“People have used the issue of missing persons for political purposes, but we have buried this propaganda permanently,” Bugti said, adding that the provincial government had decided to deal with suspects through a defined legal process rather than informal detention.
