Missing persons issue used as systematic propaganda tool against country: Bugti

QUETTA: Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti on Tuesday said that the issue of missing persons in Balochistan has been used as a systematic propaganda tool against the state of Pakistan for a long time which was buried forever after passing effective law.

He said that although such cases are much more in other provinces of the country, especially Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, than in Balochistan.

The Chief Minister expressed these views while presiding over the 22nd meeting of the provincial cabinet held at the Chief Minister Secretariat, Quetta.

The meeting took several important decisions related to the administrative, legal, social, educational and developmental affairs of the province and approved several key laws and rules.

The Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti said that some elements and parties in the province have been doing politics on this sensitive issue, but no serious effort has been made to find a permanent and legal solution to the issue.

He said that the provincial government, cabinet, members of the assembly and the Chief Secretary Balochistan are credited with having a comprehensive and effective law passed by the Balochistan Assembly for a permanent solution to the issue of missing persons.

He made it clear that after February 1, there would be no enforced disappearance by the state or the government and a clear legal framework could be in place in this regard.

He said that we have buried this issue forever, which would put an end to the allegations of enforced disappearances against the state of Pakistan and the negative propaganda on this basis.

The CM said that in Balochistan, security forces conduct investigations during intelligence-based operations in gray zones, suspects are also taken into custody, however, the issue of missing persons would end after February 01 and a legal framework would be in place in this regard.

“If an individual disappears at the hands of terrorist organizations or goes into hiding on his own, the state cannot be held responsible for it”, he noted.

He maintained that there are courts and relevant commissions to investigate claims of disappearance, but unfortunately, in Balochistan, propaganda against the state is immediately started by creating the impression of self-imposed disappearance.

The CM noted that to address this trend, the Balochistan Prevention of Detention and Radicalization Act (Double One Tetra E) has been passed and the provincial cabinet has also approved its Rules 2025.

He said that in specific centers established under this law, suspects would be interrogated under the supervision of authorized police officers, along with counseling, so that extremism, misleading narratives and anti-state thinking could be addressed

Mr. Sarfraz Bugti stated that the families of the persons under investigation would be informed within 24 hours, meetings could be allowed, medical facilities to be provided and no person would be shifted out of these centers, whichever law enforcement agency has to conduct the investigation will do it in the same centers.

The Chief Minister said that our government has the honor of resolving an issue that was politicized for years, now, those who utilized to play politics on this issue is being buried forever.

During the meeting, the provincial cabinet approved the Balochistan Witness Protection Amendment Bill 2025.

The Chief Minister said that in the past, due to the lack of an effective witness protection system, the conviction rate in terrorism and serious crimes was one to two percent under the new reforms, “faceless” courts have been established.

He said that where the identity of the witnesses would remain completely confidential and the identity would not be clear to anyone except the judge, which could make the delivery of justice effective and timely and the conviction rate is expected to increase by more than fifty to sixty percent.

The Finance Department, in the meeting, expressed satisfaction over the recruitment process on merit through online test and agreement was reached on phased digitalized recruitment in other departments as well.

The provincial cabinet approved the abolition of the Religious Affairs Department and the adjustment of its employees to other departments.

The provincial cabinet approved the establishment of two new divisions, Pishin and Koh-e-Sulaiman, making Ziarat administratively part of Loralai, and establishing the Municipal Committee of Karbala in Pishin district. Staff Report