Pakistan: As Security Forces Fire on Baloch Protesters, Sit-Ins Emerge Across Cities
Karachi: A person has died and several have been injured since security forces opened fire on Baloch protestors at Gwadar in Pakistan. Since Saturday, July 27, the situation in Balochistan has worsened.
Baloch people are protesting against the Pakistan government's alleged highhandedness, forced disappearances and brutality against Baloch people.
Dr. Mahrang Baloch, who leads the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) in the city, has told this reporter that Gwadar has been virtually sealed, that protesters are unable to contact anyone, and that military forces are firing on locals.
Not only Gwadar, but other areas including Makran, Turbat, Mastung, and Dalbadin are under military control, Mahrang said, adding that all their communication services have been shut down.
Mahrang has renewed her appeal to the media and international human rights organisations to speak up against the state’s violence.
Media in Pakistan have been careful in their coverage of the unrest in Balochistan. Balochs with access to the internet have been raising their voices on social media.
The Wire had earlier reported that according to the BYC, the Gwadar deputy commissioner made a threatening call to Mahrang Baloch, in which he said that he has ordered her and the BYC leadership to be shot.
Mahrang Baloch. Photo: Veengas.
Activist Bebarg Baloch who is leading the sit-in at Mastung, stated that yesterday (July 27) security forces opened fire on them, leading to injuries in 14. One person is in a serious condition. A group from Karachi who were joining the public gathering in Gwadar also faced violence as security forces fired at their vehicle and its tires.
In a video that emerged from a different area, a protester was seen begging security personnel to let an ambulance go to hospital because someone had been injuried by their gunfire. Security personnel purportedly did not allow it to pass.
In Quetta, another sit-in is afoot, with several locals shutting down markets and joining protests voluntarily. A protester at Quetta said that the Baloch Raj Machi (Baloch national gathering) has been successful in highlighting the "Baloch genocide."
"Since the yesterday, Balochistan has turned into a sit-in-istan,” the protester added. She said that Balochs had wanted to hold a protest meet but that the state's violence changed its nature into that of a referendum against brutality.
Meanwhile, activist Dur Bibi has posted on X that Balochs are not only in Gwadar, but are holding sit-ins in every city of Balochistan, including in Karachi.
This article went live on July twenty-ninth, two thousand twenty four, at three minutes past eleven in the morning.The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
