The Echo of Absence: Another Baloch Student Vanishes Amidst Deepening Fears

In the bustling heart of Dera Ghazi Khan, a city that often feels a world away from the spotlight, a chilling narrative has begun to unfold yet again. A young Baloch student, by all accounts simply living his life, is now allegedly gone. Picked up. Vanished. And, honestly, one can't help but feel a profound weariness, a sense of déjà vu, as reports emerge suggesting the involvement of Pakistan's Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD).

You see, this isn't just a singular, isolated incident, as much as some might wish it to be. No, this alleged detention—which, if true, marks yet another name added to an already heartbreakingly long list—arrives amidst a crescendo of protests. These aren't just any protests; these are cries from the heart, desperate pleas for answers regarding enforced disappearances that have plagued Balochistan and its people for what feels like an eternity. Families, friends, entire communities are demanding to know: where are our loved ones?

Imagine the scene, if you can. A student, perhaps walking home from classes, maybe meeting friends, suddenly surrounded, whisked away. The details are often murky, deliberately so, it seems. And the official channels? Well, they tend to remain conspicuously silent, leaving families adrift in a sea of terrifying uncertainty. It's a cruel limbo, a waiting game that can stretch into years, sometimes decades, leaving scars that never truly heal.

The CTD, a force meant to safeguard citizens from terror, now finds itself at the center of allegations that paint a starkly different picture. Critics and human rights activists argue—and persuasively, I might add—that such disappearances are not mere accidents or isolated mistakes. Rather, they point to a pattern, a systematic approach that silences dissent, instills fear, and, frankly, chips away at the very fabric of justice and human dignity.

And so, as the news spreads, as the whispers turn into shouts of protest, the question looms large: what truly happened in Dera Ghazi Khan? More importantly, when will this cycle break? When will the families find peace, and when will the echo of absence finally give way to the resounding truth?