Baloch rights activists march from Quetta to Rawalpindi

A Baloch rights activist and his supporters, who began marching from Quetta over three months ago to create awareness about enforced disappearances, arrived in the Pakistani garrison city of Rawalpindi today.
The marchers, led by Mama Qadeer Baloch under the banner of Voice of Missing Baloch Persons (VMBP), want to create awareness about rights violations in the restive southwestern province of Balochistan and demand the recovery of "missing" relatives.
The march started from Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, on October 27.
The term "missing persons" is used in Pakistan to refer to persons detained without charge by security and intelligence agencies. Rights groups claim hundreds of people have been detained in Balochistan.

The first phase of the protest, a 730-km walk, ended in Karachi with a protest in front of the Press Club on November 23. The second phase began in mid-December.
The organisers claim it is the world's longest ever protest march. They said they would present their demands to the United Nations in Islamabad.

Qadeer told the media that the marchers intend to ask NATO troops to enter Balochistan to trace their loved ones.
The marchers said they faced many problems during their journey.
Around 30 people are participating in the march and plan to continue their journey via Murree Road to Islamabad, which is around 30 km from the UN office.