QUETTA / GWADAR: Around a dozen people missing for many years reached home over the past three days in different areas of Balochistan, including Kalat, Mashkay, Noshki, Gwadar and Pasni.

Official sources confirmed that after the assurance of Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani and Home Minister Zia Ahmed Langove to the leaders of the Voice of Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) recently, the missing persons started reaching their homes.

VBMP Chairman Nasarullah Baloch and Vice Chairman Mama Qadeer Baloch had closed their protest camp and handed the provincial government a list of 110 missing persons to recover them within two months. The camp was established 10 years ago in Quetta.

According to reports, Mehran Khyiazai has returned after seven years of his disappearance, Abdul Karim Musazai from Saindak (three years), Haji Ghulam Dastagir Mohammad Hasni from Dalbandin (three years), Kabir Ahmed and Mohammad Ewaz Killi from Qadirabad Noshki (four years), Abdul Samad Langove and Mohammad Ibrahim Kalat, Khalid Naveed from Mashkay (eight months) and Khan Mohammad Bugti Kashangi from Noshki (six years).

The Voice of Baloch Missing Persons had recently given Balochistan government two months to recover 110 missing people

Zakir Dad and Abdul Sattar who hailed from the Surbandan area of Gwadar district have returned to their homes after four years and 18 months, respectively, while Asif Nazar of Pasni rejoined his family after eight years on Saturday.

The families of returning missing persons celebrated and distributed sweets. “Thank God our children have returned safely,” Akbar Dad, the father of Zakir, said.

Chief Minister Jam Kamal had promised the VBMP leaders that the provincial government would talk to all stakeholders and institutions for the recovery of missing people considering it his government’s responsibility.

Akhtar Mengal, president of the Balochistan National Party-Mengal, had signed a six-point accord with the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf for extending his party’s support in the formation of its government at the Centre.

One of the six points was about the recovery of missing persons.

Mr Mengal had repeatedly demanded on the floor of the National Assembly to resolve the issue of missing persons.

He had said recently that his party had given support to the PTI government without joining it. He expressed dissatisfaction over the working relationship with the government as he said not a single point of his six points had been taken into consideration by the rulers.

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2019