Leading Baloch human rights body, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), has organised a three-day sit-in protest in front of the Turbat Press Club against the illegal detention of its key leaders, the BYC said on Thursday.

The protest targets the arrest of prominent activists such as Mahrang Baloch, Bebarg Baloch, Sibghatullah Shajee, Gulzadi, and Beebo, who the committee says are “illegally detained by Pakistani authorities.”

The BYC shared in a post on X, “In front of the Turbat Press Club, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), Kech Zone, has organised a three-day sit-in against the illegal detention of its central organisers, Dr. Mahrang Baloch, Bebarg Baloch, Sibghatullah Shajee, Gulzadi, Beebo, and others who are illegally detained by Pakistani authorities.”

In a video message shared amid the protests, Saira Baloch, sister of forcibly disappeared brothers Asif and Rasheed Baloch, who have been missing for seven years after being taken by Pakistani forces, spoke out about the ongoing human rights crisis in Balochistan. She said, “In Balochistan, serious human rights violations are unfolding every day. Our youth, students, the elderly, women, and children are not spared. Young girls like Mahjabeen Baloch have been forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces, and her whereabouts remain unknown.”

Saira highlighted the surge in extrajudicial killings, with victims often returning bearing severe torture marks; many who survive detention still do not survive the trauma inflicted inside torture cells.
The BYC has stood firm against what it calls state barbarism, raising awareness and speaking truth to power. However, the committee itself is now under attack, with its leaders in illegal detention.

On the first day of the sit-in, High Court Balochistan senior advocate Majeed Dashti demanded the immediate release of all detained BYC members, stating, “This camp demands the immediate and safe release of all detained BYC leaders, including Mahrang Baloch, Sibghatullah Shajee, Beebo, Gulzadi, and others, who are imprisoned simply for defending human rights. On June 22, it will be three months since their detention. We demand their release; this injustice must not be prolonged.”

Human rights groups have long accused Pakistani authorities of abducting civilians in Balochistan without due process, using enforced disappearances to suppress dissent and intimidate communities in restive areas. Pakistani authorities routinely deny these allegations, but civil society continues to condemn the security forces’ role in systematic abductions targeting students, political workers, and residents. (The Statesman)

The post Sister of enforced disappeared activists condemn Pakistan’s brutality in Balochistan appeared first on Newswire.

Four security personnel were martyred and eight others injured in armed attacks on the Frontier Corps and Levies’ check posts in Kalat and Kech districts over the past 24 hours.

In a third incident, a police station in Noshki also came under attack.

Officials said the Levies check post was targeted in the Togho Chpeer area in the early hours of Sunday.

Balochistan government spokesman Shahid Rind said unidentified men opened fire at the post, adding that the Levies personnel retaliated and returned fire. The exchange continued for some time after which the assailants fled.

“As a result of gunfight, one Levies man lost his life while two others were seriously injured,” Mr Rind said, adding that after receiving information about the assault Levies forces rushed to the site and shifted the body and the injured to the Kalat district hospital.

The martyr was identified as Ali Nawaz Langove while the injured were Ghulam Ali and Moham­mad Ayub Langove.

“An operation is underway in the area to trace the attackers,” officials said.

In Kech district, unkn­own armed men attacked a check post of the paramilitary Frontier Corps late on Saturday night.

Officials said that FC personnel deployed at the post engaged the assailants. During a heavy gun battle, three soldiers were martyred and six others injured, they added.

The injured and bodies were shifted to a hospital where the martyred FC personnel were identified as Naik Gul Sanat, Lance Naik Rana Zakir and Sepoy Lakhmir, officials said, adding that the condition of the two injured was critical.

Later, all the injured were transferred to Quetta for treatment.

Sepoy Lakhmir belonged to the Nasirabad area of Balochistan.

More FC troops moved to the area after the attack and a search operation was launched.

Reports suggested that miscreants also attempted to storm a police station and a Levies forces’ station in the Mashkey area on Saturday night. However, personnel at both the places offered resistance and foiled their attempts to enter the two buildings.

Hand grenade lobbed

On Sunday evening, unidentified motorcyclists threw a hand grenade into a police station in Noshki, officials said, adding that the device exploded near the building.

Sources said that armed men also opened fire, which the police personnel returned forcing the assailants to flee.

No casualty was reported in the incident. However, a wall of the police station was slightly damaged by the impact of the blast.

Condemnation

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has condemned the terrorist attack on the Levies check post in Kalat.

In a statement, he said terrorists were enemies of the development and progress of Balochistan. The premier prayed for the martyr’s high rank, saying he had sacrificed his life to defend the motherland.

The prime minister wished the injured a speedy recovery and reaffirmed the government’s resolve to not “allow the nefarious designs of terrorists to succeed”.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti also denounced the attack on the Levies’ check post.

He hailed Ali Nawaz, the martyr, for fulfilling his duties and setting an “example of bravery by sacrificing his life”.

He said the elements involved in the attack would be brought to justice soon. (Dawn)

The post Four security men martyred in Balochistan attacks appeared first on Newswire.

The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) has continued its protest campaign titled “Breaking the Silence: Standing Against Enforced Disappearances” across Balochistan, with demonstrations taking place in several regions. The protests, which seek justice for the many Baloch students and citizens who have been forcibly disappeared, aim to raise awareness and demand the safe return of the missing individuals.

In Kharan on Friday, the BYC organized a protest rally from Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti Stadium to the Kharan Red Zone. The rally was attended by a large number of locals, including families of the missing persons, who held up photographs of their loved ones. The protesters chanted slogans against state institutions, demanding the immediate recovery of the disappeared.

The campaign has already witnessed protests in Karachi, Hub Chowki, Khuzdar, Turbat, and Panjgur, with Friday’s protest in Kharan being the latest in a series. The BYC has stated that, despite threats and aggression from the state, including attempts to counter these peaceful protests, their resolve for justice remains unwavering. The BYC has called on the public, especially the families of the disappeared, to participate in the protests and provide information about their missing relatives.

In Karachi, BYC protesters faced violent backlash from police and intelligence agencies, who attacked the demonstration, resulting in the arrest of several participants. Similarly, protesters in Hub and Khuzdar reported harassment by the authorities. On Thursday, during a protest in Panjgur, police also harassed demonstrators, while a youth named Haseeb was forcibly disappeared by a state-backed death squad. He was later released this morning in a severely injured condition.

In a related development, protestors in Panjgur and Turbat intensified their demonstrations by blocking the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) highway, bringing traffic to a standstill. In Panjgur’s Bonistan area, the family of Sagheer Baloch, son of Abdul Samad, who was forcibly disappeared, staged a sit-in on the CPEC road, halting movement in both directions. Similarly, in Turbat’s Balgatar region, families of other missing Baloch individuals blocked the road, leading to long queues of vehicles.

The protesters at both locations have warned that unless their loved ones are brought back or made public, their sit-ins will continue indefinitely, and they plan to escalate their protests by blocking CPEC at various other points. (Balochistan Post)

The post Mass Protests Continue in Balochistan Over Missing Persons, CPEC Traffic Halted appeared first on Newswire.

The Pakistani government has approved an additional Rs60 billion in funding to support ongoing military operations in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as part of “Operation Azm-e-Istehkam.”

The decision was made during a meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) on Thursday, chaired by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb in Islamabad.

According to an official statement from the Ministry of Finance, the ECC has authorized the immediate release of Rs20 billion for these operations during the current fiscal year. Of this amount, Rs1.95 billion has been specifically allocated to the Frontier Corps (FC) Balochistan to enhance security at the Reko Diq mining project.

The remaining Rs40 billion will be disbursed in the second half of the fiscal year, primarily for the procurement of advanced military equipment to bolster the capabilities of security forces.

The government’s decision follows growing security concerns in Balochistan, where separatist groups have increasingly targeted both security forces and major projects. 

The Ministry of Finance highlighted the urgent need for enhanced security, citing reports that insurgents have gained access to advanced weaponry allegedly left behind by U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

It should be noted that the Pakistani government announced “Operation Azm-e-Istehkam” on June 21st as part of its broader efforts to “combat extremism and terrorism.” The operation was announced following a review of Pakistan’s “counterterrorism strategies,” led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

In response to the announcement of “Operation Azm-e-Istehkam”, the Baloch Raaji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS), an umbrella organization of Baloch “pro-independence” groups, issued a statement condemning the operation.

BRAS spokesperson Baloch Khan claimed the operation was a cover for intensifying military aggression against the Baloch people, alleging that it was driven by Chinese interests in protecting investments in the region, particularly the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Khan warned that BRAS would intensify its resistance, targeting both Pakistani forces and Chinese interests in Balochistan. He reiterated BRAS’s commitment to defending Balochistan against what he described as the “aggressive” and “exploitative” ambitions of both Pakistan and China. (Balochistan Post)

The post Pakistan Govt approves Rs60 billion for military operations in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa appeared first on Newswire.

A 23-month-old girl in Balochistan’s Kharan district was diagnosed with poliovirus a day after her death, taking the tally of this year’s cases to 15, a health official has confirmed.

Balochistan remains an epicentre of the disease, with 12 cases reported from eight districts — Dera Bugti, Chaman, Qila Abdullah, Quetta, Jhal Magsi, Zhob, Qila Saifullah and now Kharan.

The victim, a resident of Union Council South City-A in Kharan tehsil, died on August 19 at a hospital in Quetta, an official of the National Institute of Health (NIH) said.

He added that as per the parents, the child developed a high-grade fever, along with paralysis of both lower limbs and neck muscles, on July 31.

The family treated the child at home for five days and then took her to a local informal healthcare provider on Aug 4.

Three days later, on Aug 7, the child was taken to a private hospital where she was notified as a suspected case of poliovirus.

The case was investigated on the same day, and a sample was sent to the NIH. The patient had no history of intramuscular injection — usually a shot in the arm — in the last 24 hours prior to the onset of paralysis.

No travel history of the child has been reported pri­or to the onset of the virus. The child passed away on August 19, 2024, he said. (Dawn)

The post Poliovirus claims life of two-year-old in Balochistan’s Kharan district appeared first on Newswire.

Pakistani forces reportedly apprehended a youth from Nushki district in Balochistan, relocating him to an undisclosed location, The Balochistan Post reported.

According to accounts, Haroon Baloch, the national gold medalist player from Bolan Taekwondo Institute Nushki, is missing following his detention by Pakistani forces.

Read more: https://www.latestly.com/agency-news/world-news-pak-forces-accused-of-forcibly-disappearing-gold-medalist-youth-in-balochistan-5750091.html (ANI)

The post Pak Forces Accused of ‘forcibly Disappearing’ Gold Medalist Youth in Balochistan appeared first on Newswire.

Balochistan is the largest province of Pakistan, comprising roughly 43 per cent of the total area of the country. Unfortunately, it is also the poorest and least populated. One of the world’s largest copper deposits has been found at Reko Diq in Balochistan. Regrettably, more than 48 per cent of the province’s population lives below the poverty line. The failure of the central government to address Balochistan’s economic slowdown and social disintegration has created a sense of deprivation in the minds of the common Baloch people over the decades.

The ongoing insurgency in the province is a direct outcome of decades of state neglect and exploitation. Relations between Baloch nationalists and the central government have been hostile since the creation of Pakistan in 1947, intermittently turning vicious. The roots of Baloch dissent trace back to the early 1970s when the Baloch Students Organisation-Awami (BSO-Awami) emerged from a split with the Baloch Students Organisation (BSO). With a Marxist-Leninist ideology, BSO-Awami vehemently opposed the repressive and feudal Sardari system, aligning itself with the Baloch People’s Liberation Front in resisting the control of the Pakistani establishment. The inaugural chairman of BSO-Awami, Taj Baloch paved the way for a legacy of resistance. His follower, Abdul Nabi Bangulzai, assumed the mantle as a guerrilla leader, emphasizing the organization’s commitment to challenging the status quo.

In 2004, long-simmering tensions erupted into a renewed insurgency. One of the main Baloch grievances is the ongoing construction of the mega-port of Gwadar, which commenced in 2002. In 2004, a renewed ethnic insurgency broke out, and violence has escalated since the army’s killing of Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Bugti in 2006, coupled with the illegal custody and disappearance of many additional Baloch leaders by the Pakistani government. U.S. intelligence estimates that approximately 25,000 army and paramilitary forces are engaged in counter-insurgency operations in Balochistan, further exacerbating ethnic grievances. The current conflict in Balochistan is the bloodiest since the 1970s.

In the ongoing recent events, on December 21 at midnight, law enforcement agencies used ruthless force to disperse a peaceful Baloch march heading towards the Islamabad Press Club, protesting state crimes against the Baloch people. State-sponsored forces employed water cannons and tear gas, detained hundreds of protesters, and subjected them to brutality. Women were dragged, their clothes torn apart, children wounded, and elderly individuals physically abused. After 24 hours of disgrace and harassment, the protesters were finally released but were then transported back to Balochistan from where they came.

The killing of Balaach Mola Bakhsh and three others in Turbat, Balochistan in November prompted protestors to embark on a nearly 1600 km march to Islamabad. On November 24, 2023, four people were killed in an encounter by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD). The identified victims were Shakoor Baloch, Saif Baloch, and Balach Mola Bakhsh, while one remains unknown. Balach’s lawyer, Advocate Jadain Dahshti, revealed that Balach had been abducted from his home on October 29, and an FIR against him was not filed until 22 days later on November 20. Dahshti denounced the encounter as fake, stating, ‘They filed a case under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), charging him with possessing 5kg of explosives. The next day, he was brought to court, where 10 more days of remand were granted. His bail plea was scheduled for November 24, but the night before, he was killed in this fake encounter.

The march, initiated on December 6 from Turbat and led by Baloch women following the earlier mentioned extrajudicial killing, revealed a noteworthy feature – its predominantly female composition. Young, aspiring women took the lead, seeking redressal of their grievances from the state.  It is worth mentioning that author and journalist Mohammed Hanif declared his decision to return the Sitara-e-Imtiaz, the third-highest civilian award of Pakistan, to the state in protest against the violence inflicted on Baloch marchers. Responding to a video of a Baloch girl pleading with the authorities for the ‘right to live,’ Hanif criticized the exploitation of Baloch protesters, expressing shame at witnessing a new generation being deprived of basic dignity.

Nevertheless, the capital police blocked entrances to the city and major routes leading to the National Press Club. Subsequently, the police began detaining Baloch men and women as part of their actions against the protesters. Videos shared on social media depicted security forces using water cannons and tear gas on the protesters, forcibly dragging Baloch individuals into police vans, and employing batons against them. Additionally, the police dismantled protest camps and loudspeaker setups outside the National Press Club. These actions garnered enormous criticism, compelling the caretaker government to establish a negotiation team, including Information Minister Murtaza Solangi, Fawad Hasan Fawad, and Jamal Shah, to engage with the protesters’ families. However, this ‘effort’ to engage in dialogue was swiftly overshadowed by the heavy-handed tactics employed by the Islamabad Police, resulting in the detention of numerous protestors amid the use of water cannons and baton charges.

Aptly, in a statement condemning state violence against the protesters, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Chairperson Asad Iqbal Butt stated that the commission was appalled by the state’s response, citing unwarranted force in the form of water cannons and batons being used on women, children, and the elderly. The statement reads, ‘Numerous women protesters have reportedly been arrested and separated from their male relatives and allies. At least one Baloch woman journalist covering the long march has also been arrested. This treatment of Baloch people exercising their constitutional right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression is inexcusable.

Appropriately, the call for protest has reached overseas as well. Announcing a noteworthy initiative, Salia Marri, the niece of Baloch national leader Baba Khair Bakhsh Marri and wife of abducted Baloch nationalist Mir Taj Muhammad Sarparah, has revealed plans for a five-day sit-in protest in London scheduled from January 3 to 7, 2024. The purpose of this demonstration is to intensify ongoing protests against reported cases of enforced disappearances and human rights violations in Balochistan. Additionally, amid this continuing protest regarding Baloch genocide and enforced disappearances, the Baloch Yakjahti Committee-Kech conveyed through a post on X that should the state fail to engage in negotiations in accordance with their demands, they are prepared to elevate the matter to the court of the Baloch people.

Balochistan is at a turning point in its history, with struggles from the past resonating into the present. Ongoing events, marked by demonstrations and committee discussions, offer a glimpse into the complex difficulties faced by the people of Balochistan. The path forward demands deft negotiation, navigating the delicate interplay of identity, autonomy, and the precarious equilibrium between authority and dissent. As the global audience watches and policymakers deliberate, Balochistan’s narrative unfolds. A saga in flux, each chapter reveals fresh dimensions of a nation entwined in its historical legacy and aspirations for the future. However, the journey is fraught with negativity, a stark reminder that the pursuit of peace is an arduous voyage, laden with uncertainties. Yet, within this complexity lies an opportunity for introspection, international cooperation, and empathetic policies to illuminate a path toward a more stable and harmonious future for Balochistan. (Asian Lite)

The post SPECIAL 2024: BALOCHIS SEEK JUSTICE appeared first on Newswire.