Quetta, Feb 19 (NationPress) Families of Baloch individuals who have gone missing conducted a demonstration outside the Karachi Press Club, protesting against what they described as a staged encounter involving a young man who had previously been forcibly disappeared and was later killed in a police operation, according to local media sources.

The demonstrators asserted that the authorities were withholding the deceased's body from his family.

During the protest, many women and children displayed placards, calling for justice. Protesters reported that 24-year-old student Hamdan Baloch had been forcibly disappeared before being killed in what they referred to as a 'fabricated encounter.' The family claimed the authorities have not released Hamdan Baloch's body to them, despite their identification, as reported by The Balochistan Post.

In statements to reporters during the protest, Hamdan's father, Muhammad Ali, revealed that his son had been apprehended by personnel from the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on December 29, 2025, near the Dhobi Ghat Bridge without any warrant. He stated that the family received no updates regarding his whereabouts following the detention, labeling the incident a clear case of enforced disappearance.

According to the family, CTD officials claimed during a press conference on January 6 that Hamdan was detained on suspicions related to an armed group and alleged facilitation activities. The family has dismissed these claims as fabricated.

The family sought legal action following the charges leveled against Hamdan Baloch. They mentioned that Hamdan's court appearance was scheduled before he was transferred to jail custody. However, on Tuesday, the CTD issued a statement claiming that Hamdan Baloch was killed in an armed encounter, allegedly due to fire from his own associates.

Muhammad Ali pointed out that similar statements have been utilized in past cases, raising doubts about the credibility of these explanations. Family members later identified Hamdan Baloch's body but faced difficulties in retrieving his remains.

During a press conference, relatives condemned the recurring pattern of enforced disappearances, terrorism allegations, and encounter killings as serious violations of law and human rights. They called for criminal cases to be filed against CTD officers involved in Hamdan Baloch's demise.

They demanded a prompt and transparent post-mortem examination and the continuation of legal proceedings related to the case, as reported by The Balochistan Post.

During the demonstration, Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leader Fauzia Baloch stated that the cycle of enforced disappearance followed by terrorism accusations and subsequent encounter killings appears to evade legal accountability, calling for an impartial investigation and independent autopsy to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the death.