The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) on Saturday continued their ongoing sit-in on the road leading to the National Press Club in Islamabad, as it had been blocked by police with barbed wire, preventing them from returning to their original protest site.
An anti-terrorism court in Quetta on Friday remanded BYC chief Dr Mahrang Baloch and other organisers of the group into police custody for 15 days, in the case of her and other BYC members “attacking” Quetta Civil Hospital and “inciting people to violence” in March.
A Dawn.com correspondent at the scene reported that the demonstrators were not allowed to set up their protest camp outside the press club, so they would leave in the evenings and return to demonstrate in the afternoon. When they arrived today, they found the route to the press club blocked.
“We started our camp in the morning and finished in the evening as the authorities did not allow us to erect tents,” a woman protester told Dawn.com. “When we came back today, they didn’t allow us to proceed and we were told that we didn’t have an NOC (no-objection certificate).”
She continued that “everyone had the right to protest except for the Baloch”.
“We have been sitting on the main road peacefully for the fourth day, but the police have called in buses to take us away and increased their numbers,” she added.
When asked about the possibility of a crackdown, the protester said, “They’re prepared to drag us into buses and take us back to Balochistan.”
According to the BYC, elderly people, women and children are among the protesters today and facing extreme heat.
“Whether under pouring rain or in scorching heat, they have continued their peaceful demonstration on the bare footpaths, without tents or shade,” the group wrote on X.
Lawyer Nadia Baloch, Mahrang’s sister, expressed fears of a crackdown by police in a post on X.
“Riot police have surrounded the National Press Club in Islamabad and its surrounding areas with barbed wire,” she wrote.
“We are peaceful protesters, including older women and young children, who have travelled thousands of kilometres from Balochistan to this city of power and authority, only to now face the threat of arrest, violence, and intimidation.”
Former PPP senator Farhatullah Babar told Dawn.com that there are “hardly 20 women” at the demonstration and that protesting is their fundamental right.
He highlighted two main issues in Balochistan, which are causing discontent among the people and contributing to protests like this one.
“There are two fundamental issues in Balochistan: number one, people want their representative assembly and government,” Babar explained.
“People in Balochistan feel that neither the assembly nor the government are their genuine representative. When you don’t have trust in your government … there is resentment.”
Babar highlighted that the second issue is enforced disappearances, stating, “My suggestion to the state would be to come out of the mode of denial, admit that there is an issue of enforced disappearances and sit together.”
Babar emphasised that all stakeholders should sit together and find a solution.
“A solution can be found — there have been recommendations made by parliament and there are observations made by the courts. “Let us all sit together and find a way.”
Former Jamaat-i-Islami senator Mushtaq Ahmed, who is present at the protest, told Dawn.com that 25-30 people are protesting.
“They are demonstrating for their right to live and right to fair trial under Article 10A of the Constitution,” Ahmed said. “The roads have been closed and there is a heavy police deployment. There’s an atmosphere of fear here.”
The former senator said that he condemned this because the demonstrators have not blocked roads themselves. “This will not resolve the issue and the people behind this are playing with fire.”
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) issued a statement on X expressing concern about the treatment of Baloch activists who have travelled from Balochistan to the federal capital.
“HRCP stands by their right to peaceful assembly and protest and demands that the authorities differentiate between advocacy for legitimate rights and militancy,” the statement read. “Women and children from Balochistan deserve as much dignity and respect as people from other parts of the country.”
