Bibi Nazhatoon, the mother of missing persons activist Sammi Deen Baloch, marked the 15th anniversary of her husband’s disappearance on June 28. Dr Deen Baloch was abducted in 2009 — a day his wife remembers as if it were yesterday.

That fateful day, it was not just her life partner who was snatched from her but also her identity. For the past decade and a half, Bibi Nazhatoon has been living a life where she does not know whether she is a widow or not — a fate she shares with hundreds of fellow Baloch women. Not once has she worn colourful clothes, attended weddings or celebrated festivals such as Eid in all these years.

Today, scores of women across Pakistan live in a state of uncertainty — not knowing whether their fathers, brothers or husbands are alive or not. According to a report released this month, a total of 197 missing persons cases were reported in the first half of 2024 alone, with a vast majority recorded in Balochistan.

Pakistan has been haunted by the chronic malaise of enforced disappearances for decades. The government says that the problem cannot be solved overnight “in haste or due to someone’s anxiety or someone speaking on social media platforms or even court directives”.

Although conversations on the issue have picked up momentum over the last few years, what remains least discussed is the cost borne by Baloch women.

Whenever and wherever a conflict occurs, women and children suffer the most, especially in conservative and male-dominated societies such as ours. These complex challenges create an environment in which women feel insecure, both socially and economically.

Women also suffer the most psychologically and emotionally,........

© Dawn Prism