Mass protests erupt across Balochistan over enforced disappearances and killings
- In Reports
- 07:17 PM, Feb 11, 2025
- Myind Staff
On Tuesday, protests took place in several cities across Balochistan, demanding an end to suspected enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and the abduction of Baloch women. Baloch students in Islamabad and Uthal held peaceful demonstrations, while the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) organised rallies throughout the region, according to The Balochistan Post. In support of the protests, businesses in Mastung, Kalat and other cities remained closed as part of a shutter-down strike.
Protesters called on human rights groups and the UN to take action and hold Pakistani officials accountable. Families of missing individuals gathered in Quetta for a protest march organised by the BYC. Holding pictures of their loved ones, they chanted slogans against enforced disappearances and urged international organisations to intervene. According to The Balochistan Post, BYC leaders accused the Pakistani government of targeting Baloch intellectuals, students, and youth through enforced disappearances and assassinations. On Sunday, families of the missing, activists, and locals gathered at Shaheed Fida Chowk in Turbat for a three-day protest camp.
The camp was set up in response to recent targeted killings, like as those of Allah Dad Baloch in Turbat, Naveed Baloch in Buleda and Zakriya Baloch in Gwadar. According to The Balochistan Post, demonstrators demanded justice and clarified that these murders were part of a prearranged campaign. Protesters in Noshki held a rally, marching from the Mir Gul Khan Naseer Library to the Noshki Press Club. They condemned the killing of Allah Dad Baloch in Turbat and the abduction of Asma Jattak Baloch in Khuzdar. Activists accused Pakistani security forces of targeting Baloch students and intellectuals, saying these actions were part of a broader crackdown on political opposition. In Kharan, activists from BYC joined a sit-in alongside families demanding the release of Hafiz Hazrat Ali Baloch and Mubarak Baloch. According to their relatives, security forces have been using enforced disappearances as a way to control groups.
Meanwhile, in Mastung and Kalat, shops and businesses remained closed on Sunday as part of a protest. The demonstrators condemned enforced disappearances, the killing of Allah Dad Baloch, and the abduction of Asma Baloch, calling these actions a form of state persecution, as reported by The Balochistan Post. Protesters held up signs demanding the immediate release of all missing persons during demonstrations in Chagai, Dalbandin, Nokundi, and Yakmach.
According to the protest organisers, these demonstrations will continue across Balochistan until every missing person is found. Meanwhile, students at Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water and Marine Sciences (LUAWMS) in Uthal also protested against targeted killings and enforced disappearances, as reported by The Balochistan Post. Protesters in Islamabad and Balochistan urged human rights groups and the UN to take action. They demanded an end to extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, and what they described as the collective punishment of the Baloch people.
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