A Baloch human rights group has claimed that officials of Karachi and Quetta press clubs refused to give space to the relatives of missing persons for press conference.
The Baloch Human Rights Organization (BHRO), a group helping the relatives of missing persons highlight their cases, said in a press release that the press club officials claimed they were being pressurized from authorities.
According to the BHRO, President of the Quetta Press Club, Raza ur Rahman refused to allow relatives of missing persons to conduct a press conference saying they were being pressurized by certain quarters.
Similarly, Siraj Ahmed of the Karachi Press Club refused requests of a press conference about the Baloch students who were picked up by the army personnel from Karachi earlier this month and are still missing.
Relatives of Baloch missing persons have had little option to get their loved ones released. Courts have failed to curb enforced disappearances, and army officials have refused to appear before courts.
Press clubs have been the only space where the relatives could go to highlight the cases of missing persons. Closing the doors of press clubs on the relatives of missing persons is against the basic priniciples of journalism.
