Missing persons issue is used as ‘propaganda tool’ against Pakistan: CM Bugti

Chief Minister Balochistan Sarfaraz Bugti said on Wednesday that the issue of missing persons in the province is being exploited, and in many cases, individuals disappear of their own accord before joining militant organisations. 

Bugti made these remarks while addressing the Balochistan Assembly on Monday.

“Unfortunately, the state is blamed for people who disappear on their own,” Bugti stated while noting that “some youth leave their homes, join terrorist outfits, and yet the blame falls on state institutions”. 

He stressed that “this narrative must be changed.”

Read: Pakistan announces financial compensation for families of missing persons

"Missing persons issue is used as ‘propaganda tool’ against Pakistan," he added. 

Chief Minister Bugti emphasised that while the issue of missing persons has become one of Balochistan’s most talked-about concerns, a clear distinction needs to be made between enforced disappearances and voluntary absences. 

“It’s time we address this issue through comprehensive legislation,” he added, referring to a new bill under discussion.

He claimed the bill aims to curb what he called an “organised conspiracy” to alienate Balochistan’s youth and malign the state's image. 

“This law will help put an end to false allegations against state institutions,” he said, describing the move as a step toward accountability and transparency.

Read: IHC hints at FIR against PM Kakar, Bugti in missing persons case

Highlighting another legislative milestone, Bugti also called the Anti-Terrorism Amendment Bill a “milestone” in the province's fight against extremism and lawlessness.

Meanwhile, Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman Baloch, a member of the Assembly, expressed concerns about the bill, stating that the issue of missing persons remains the province’s most critical human rights concern. “We want this matter to be resolved, and we expect the House to be taken into confidence on the contents of the bill,” he said.