The protesters of the Mand town in southern Balochistan have alleged that security forces and other groups backed by the Pakistani state are employing intimidation, arrests and other unlawful means to stifle the peaceful protests of the Balochs who are agitating against the alleged extrajudicial killings of the Baloch youth.
According to The Balochistan Post(Online news network of Balochistan), a demonstration was organized by the Baloch Yekjehti Committee (BYC), in response to the killing of three young Blaoch men: Izhar, son of Mullah Mujeeb; Mullah Bahram Baloch; and Jalal, son of Haji Yar Muhammad. Locals said that the three were killed consecutively, within a span of few hours. They described the killing as targeted attacks by the militias allegedly backed by the Pakistani state authorities, often referred to as the “Death Squads”.
During the protest, Mullah Rashid accused the authorities of committing “Baloch genocide”. He was later summoned to a military facility, tortured, coerced and forced to record a confession video before being released. However, he was again arrested shortly by the local police on reported orders from the intelligence agencies.
Another protest participant, a school teacher Saima Sarwar, also faced retaliation; she was summoned to her principal’s office, Rahima, the sister of the former federal minister Zubaida Jalal and was dismissed from her position as a teacher apparently even without a prior notice or legal process.
Family members of other demonstrators said that they were directly threatened or called to military camps, where they were warned to prevent their children from joining such protests. Some were allegedly cautioned that continued participation in political gatherings could lead to enforced disappearance, as reported by The Balochistan Post. These actions are part of a broader attempt by the state to silence dissenting voices and deter criticism of Pakistani forces in Balochistan.
Human rights advocates warn that the crackdown could further deepen tensions in the province, eroding trust in the state institutions and fuelling unrest. Such measures against peaceful protestors underscore the ongoing concerns over human rights abuses in Balochistan and raise urgent questions about the freedom of expression and political activism in the region. The growing turbulence and instability in the Balochistan province also testify the spiking rift between Islamabad and Balochistan, while the domestic political instability is multiplying rigorously beyond the control of the rulers in Islamabad. Meanwhile, without ascending a genuine and real solution or without conceding to the demands of the Baloch people, Pakistan is mere indulged in unlawful and inhuman crackdown.
(With Inputs from ANI)
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