Balochjehti Balochje (Byc) committed on Sunday that he will continue his “peaceful” sitting of Islamabad, now on his 40th day, said a press release from the group.
The sitting of Islamabad began on July 16, with leaders of Byc and members who demanded the release of their activists. His boss, Dr. Mahrang Baloch and other activists were arrested on March 22 for allegedly attacking the Civil Hospital of Quetta and inciting violence, one day after the police took energetic measures against their protest.
According to the press release, available with Dawn.comThe group, during a press conference in Islamabad, expressed its willingness to continue the ongoing sitting in the Federal Capital, stating that “one day these institutions will be forced to listen to our voice.”
“This protest is not just a protest of the people of Baloch, it is a protest for justice,” said the press release. “This is a struggle for dignity and human truth and it is the duty of all of us to support this fight.”
The statement said that the protesters had two demands: the release of Dr. Mahrang and the BYC Beebarg Baloch, Shaji Baloch and Gulzadi Baloch activists, among others, and the recovery of “all the people disappeared by force” in Baluchistan.
“We make it clear that Dr. Mahrang Baloch and his associates are peaceful political activists and political prisoners, but under a systematic plan, they are presented as terrorists so that the real voice of the Baloch nation can be suppressed,” reads the statement.
“These demands are not the desire of any specific group but the voice of the collective consciousness of society.”
When journalists indirectly address, the Byc declaration regretted that the media and courts “cannot fulfill their basic responsibilities.”
“The media distort our legitimate and direct demands,” reads the statement. “The courts were expected to provide justice to the oppressed, but they are only strengthening oppression by repeatedly extending preventive detention.”
The Byc said that after a total of 45 days in preventive detention, when the group’s leaders appeared in the court on Friday, a new benefit was requested again in the FIRS themselves.
“Our lawyers insisted not granting a return, in which the court rejected the return in these FIR and unloaded them,” said the statement. “However, by bringing five new and foundation five FIR, BYC leaders have been sent to benefit for another 15 days.”
“We will continue our protest peacefully. We know that it doesn’t matter how much oppression lasts, it will not last forever,” the statement added. “We appeal to people from all over the country, civil society, human rights institutions and the international community to be with us.”
The byc said it will expand its protest in the next few days, warning that it would take “strict measures, whose consequences will be the responsibility of the State itself.” Neither the action nor the consequences were prepared in the declaration.
“We want to make it clear that our protest is peaceful, it will continue to be peaceful and we will not leave this place until our loved ones are released,” said the byc. “We support our demands, we will continue our fight.”
Byc, an active Baloch defense group since 2018, has been campaigning against forced disappearances.
The extension of the Friday’s return was the fourth time that the leaders of ByC appeared before the court since their arrest. Initially, they were arrested under section 3 of the maintenance of public order (3mpo). After the expiration of his arrest of MPO, there were charges related to terrorism against them.
A day earlier, the judge of the Supreme Court Athar Minallah elaborated the difficulties faced by the judges regarding the cases of missing persons and forced disappearances against non -cooperation by the State and the legislators.
He said that when he ordered that the disappearances be investigated or the missing persons were found, “the authorities would come and all would say that we do not know where they are.” Given this, the judge said: “The judge and the court cannot do anything when you have no independent investigators.”
Minallah said that during the four years he served as the Superior Court of the Superior Court of Islamabad, Baluchistan students would approach the court on the disappearances in the province.
“When Baluchistan students arrived, I didn’t know what to do because I was outside my jurisdiction. The investigations had to take place in Baluchistan. But the law provided me with that jurisdiction.”
Earlier this year, former PPP senator and outstanding defender of Human Rights Farhatullah Babar warned against Dr. Mahrang’s labeling, byc or any person “a terrorist” without evidence or judgment, which qualifies such “extremely problematic” statements that could “delay”.
