Quetta and other parts of Baluchistan observed a closing strike on Saturday in response to the call of the Baloch Jakjehti (Byc) committee, a day after their members of the provincial capital faced a police repression when they protested against the alleged forced disappearances.
A day earlier, the police used tear gas and water cannons and shot in white to disperse the bystants of Byc, who had staged a sitting 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.
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.
The Byc, sharing his statement in the Balochi language in X, cited it 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.
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.
Dawn.com has communicated with the Baluchistan government to comment.
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.
Yesterday there were contradictory reports about the victims, with sources from the Bolan Medical College Hospital that said that two bodies were brought there while an agency and nine injured, including a policewoman, were received at the Civil Hospital.
For his part, Mahrang said that three people died and another 13 were injured during police action while protested against the arrest of the leader of BYC Bray and another four a few days ago.
Meanwhile, a Baluchistan government spokesman said the protesters threw the police with stones and beat them, injuring 10 staff, including a police woman.
Similarly, a complete and wheel jam was observed in Tobat, 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.
In a statement issued by the byc, it has demanded that the immediate and unconditional release of Dr. Mahrang, Batg and the other members arrested.
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.
