Baluchistan’s government spokesman Shahid Rind, said on Saturday that the leadership of the Balochjehti Committee (Byc) was arrested for “attacking” the Civil Hospital Quetta and “inciting people to violence”, a day after its members of the provincial capital faced a police reproduction while protested against songs from the songs.
On Friday, the police used tear gas and water cannons and shot in white to disperse the bystants of Byc, who had staged a seated on the Sariab road near the University of Baluchistan, against some arrests, including their leaders.
The Baluchistan government and the Byc had reported victims beside them as a result of the actions of others, with the activist group claiming three dead and another 13 who suffered wounds and the police who said that around 10 of their staff were injured.
According to the Bolan Medical College hospital, two bodies were brought there from the Sariab Road area. The bodies were later taken by the heirs.
The authorities of the Quetta Quetta hospital said that a body and nine personnel of the injured police, including an agent agent, were taken to the health center.
Other sources had previously stated that byc workers had taken three bodies with them and organized a seated in the Road Munir Mengal.
Subsequently, the BYC chief organizer, Dr. Mahrang Baloch, last night, issued a call for a closing blow to the province, in response to the alleged casualties resulting from the police action.
Quetta and other parts of Baluchistan observed a closing blow today in response to the call of Byc.
The group also claimed that their leadership and Dr. Mahrang were arrested.
Questioned about the reports of the arrest of Dr. Mahrang and for what positions he was arrested during an interview about Geographical news The ‘Naya Pakistan’ program today, RIND did not mention it by name, but said: “Byc’s leadership has been arrested for attacking the Civil Hospital, inciting people to violence and other positions.”
He said the law would go into action if any common citizen faced problems due to the BYC protest.
When asked about the situation in the province and the accusations of Byc about the deaths caused by the government, he minimized them as mere “statements.”
He said that the Byc was protesting Friday through the bodies of the culprits of the Jaffar Express train attack last week while the police tried to disperse them through water cannons and tear gas bombardments.
“Around the night they said that three people were killed in the police shot, he added.
“The Police, the District Administration and the Government had a clear position that until they deliver these agencies to the civil administration and until their medical reports do not arrive, it is not possible to determine whose dismissal killed them.”
He said that the provincial government had “sufficient evidence” that there were armed people present among Byc protesters.
He questioned that if the government should have launched or not accusations of the shots of those armed people caused the deaths.
“After all that, they maintained those same bodies for the protest and the State recovered those bodies after their heirs were made so that the bodies recover from the byc and give them.”
Meanwhile, sharing his statement in the Balochi language in X, the byc had summoned Mahrang as announcing “close the entire Baluchistan against […] state violence ”.
“There will be a closing blow and Wheel-Jam Jam throughout the Baluchistan tomorrow,” the statement added. The Byc also announced to organize another sitting in Quetta’s Sariab Road with bodies of yesterday’s alleged casualties.
Later on the day, the Byc shared alleged photos of closed stores and roads in the city of Dalbandin of the district of Chagai, as well as the districts of Khuzdar, Washuk and Surab.
He also published alleged images of protests held in Mastung, Dera Murad Jamali and Tobat, where the protesters burned tires to block the roads.
A complete closing blow and a wheel jam in Tobat was also observed, with the byc organizing a rally and sitting at Shaheed Fida Chowk.
In the Malikabad de Tobat area, the men unidentified in motorcycles fired shots to the protesters, who were monitoring the strike, hurting two children. They were transferred to the hospital to receive medical treatment.
The other areas of the province that were also closed in response to the call included Panjgur, Gwadar, Nushki, Kharan, Kalat, Mastung and Khuzdar.
According to a Dawn.com Correspondent in Quetta, mobile services have been suspended in Quetta since Friday night, while data services had been low since Thursday.
However, the suspension has not yet been officially issued.
Mahrang, others arrested: byc
After Mahrang’s strike call, the Byc said that she and other protesters had been arrested today from the sitting of Quetta while the alleged bodies were “seized.”
“Today, at 5:30 am, the security forces carried out a brutal raid before dawn in the sitting. Women, children and peaceful protesters were subjected to extreme violence,” said the byc in X.
“The authorities forcibly confiscated the bodies that the protesters had planned to offer funeral sentences for today. The organizer of Byc, Dr. Mahrang Baloch, along with many others, was dragged and arrested,” he said.
The organization also shared a night video that shows police personnel who wielded canes and dragged some women. Another video showed dozens of police gathered on a road.
The protesters who organized Sariab Road’s sitting demanded the “liberation of their member of the Central Batog Baloch committee, his brother Hammal, Dr. Ilyas and others who have disappeared by force, as well as the liberation of the woman Baloch Saeeda and several others,” the Byc recalled.
The UN Special Rapporteur about human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor, said in X that he was “very worried” for the reported arrests of Dr. Mahrang and others.
Pakistan’s Human Rights Commission said “urges the State to avoid taking excessive measures to stop dissent.”
He added that the arrests of the leaders of Byc and the suspension reported connectivity in Quetta were “instinctive reactions that will exacerbate the frustrations of common people.”
“All political parties, including those with legitimate support in Baluchistan, must take the initiative and interact with all those interested in the province, including civil society and academia, to resolve the crisis of long data of the province. The government of Baluchistan must immediately free Mahrang Baloch and other leaders and workers of Byc and initiate an urgent dialogue.”
Front Line Defenders, an Irish organization that defends and works for the protection of human rights, also condemned the alleged arrest and requested the immediate release of Mahrang.
The head of the National Party of the National Party of Baluchistan, Akhtar Mengal, said: “Dr. Mahrang Baloch has been arrested for simply telling the truth. The truth about the loss of pain and injustice that has been ignored for years. He stood up peacefully, bravely, with nothing more than the voice of his people, and therefore, she was silenced.
“Byc activists did not raise weapons, only words and yet were treated as criminals.
Michael Kugelman, a scholar of affairs from southern Asia at the Wilson Center in Washington, said Dr. Mahrang’s arrest “would only produce more anger and resistance”, describing it from a “wrong movement and a counterweight background.”
He added that due to his international renown, “his arrest will probably receive international attention, which will not help Pakistan’s global image that his leaders are eager to soften.”
In a statement issued by the byc, it has demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Dr. Mahrang, Batg and the other arrested members.
The group has also sought the registration of a first information report (FIR) against the principal minister of Baluchistan and the PGI for the “indiscriminate shot” that resulted in dozens of injuries and the “martyrdom of three individuals”, as well as their dismissal of their positions.
The Byc also demanded that Quetta’s commissioner and his deputy also be dismissed immediately.
In addition, he sought that the series of “retaliation actions against Baloch’s political activists” must stop immediately, and all false cases must be eliminated.
Baluchistan Bar Association Council, PTI Condemn ‘Brutal Use of Force’
Separately, the Baluchistan Bar Association Council and the PTI condemned police action against protesters.
In a statement, the Board of Lawyers announced a boycott of judicial procedures throughout the province in protest for yesterday’s incident.
He demanded that “women, children and students” arrested were immediately released and that “the people who had lost Sariab appear before the public.” In addition, he asked the Baluchistan government to assume the expenses of the medical treatment of injured people.
Reiterating the BYC claims about the victims, the Board of Board described the repression as “anxiety” shown by the provincial government. He condemned the “worst violence, violation of human rights and unconstitutional measures.”
The bar added: “The incompetent provincial government of the PPP has established the worst example of dictatorship through the use of coercion and power to extend its rule.”
He affirmed that the Baluchistan government “had completely failed to protect the lives and properties” of the people of the province.
The PTI also strongly condemned the “excessive and brutal use of force against peaceful protesters” while highlighting the casualties reported.
“The oppressive regime has once again crossed all the limits of brutality in its desperate attempt to hold on to power, even at the expense of national unity and integrity,” said a statement from PTI’s secretary of information, Sheikh Waqqas Akram.
He demanded “immediate responsibility for those responsible for the murder and the injuries of peaceful protesters” and that all missing persons appear before a court of justice.
“If any individual is declared guilty, it must be treated in accordance with legal procedures. However, forced disappearances are inhuman, illegal and a shameless violation of human rights. This abroad practice must be taken to an immediate purpose,” said the PTI.
The opposition party urged the Government to pay attention to the “legitimate demands of BYC protesters and take immediate measures to address their genuine complaints.”
“Such coercive and oppressive measures will not serve the interests of those who cling illegally to the power; instead, they will only exacerbate the already volatile situation,” he said, adding that he was with the people of Baluchistan.
