The protest ends, missings never

Baloch Raji Muchi in Gwadar, Balochistan 

Shari Baloch, an 18-year-old second-year student at the Government Intermediate College, Tump and a member of the BYC( Baloch Yakjehti Committee) Tump zone, was resolute in her determination to attend the Baloch Raji Muchi (Baloch National Gathering) scheduled for July 28th in Gwadar. Together with others from the Tump Tehsil of Turbat district in Southern Balochistan, Shari and other BYC members began collecting donations to hire two Zamyads for transportation to the gathering. Despite a notice from the district administration the previous day, warning against offering moral or financial support to anyone associated with the event, locals contributed whatever they could.

On the morning of July 27th, as Shari and her companions prepared for their journey, the situation took a tense turn. Security forces, deployed following the announcement of the gathering, intercepted those en route to Gwadar. Shari recalls how they were stopped at various checkpoints, questioned, and searched.

“At noon, we were halted at Talaar, a checkpoint where the security forces interrogate people before allowing them to enter Gwadar,” Shari disclosed. “We weren’t alone; there were thousands of others on bikes, in cars, trucks, buses, and even on foot, all heading to the gathering. At Talaar, security forces from the Frontier Corps had placed two large white containers at the checkpoint on the NA-28 highway leading to Gwadar. The Frontier Corps, along with the Levies, were prepared to sabotage our gathering, equipped with shields and batons to stop us.”

For many, including Shari, this was their first experience with such mass gatherings and the effects of tear gas. Despite the crackdown, Shari and many others remained resolute. “When the soldiers started firing, we didn’t know where to go. We weren’t criminals; we only wished to participate in a gathering that represents our identity and concerns,” Shari said, reflecting the determination of the people. “We were stranded there for two or three days with little to no water or food, and we had no option to go either to Gwadar or back to our homes in Turbat, as the road leading to Turbat had also been blocked, with a large trench dug in the middle of the road.”

Baloch Yakjehti Committee

The Baloch Raji Muchi was organized by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, formed on the night of May 26, 2020, in Turbat after a woman named Malik Naz was shot dead when she resisted three armed intruders who had broken into her house. Her four-year-old daughter, Bramsh, was also injured during the attack.

This tragic incident sparked violent protests in Turbat and across Balochistan under the banner of the “Bramsh Yakjehti Committee” or “Bramsh Solidarity Committee.”

The Committee gained further momentum after the killing of Hayat Baloch, a University of Karachi student, on August 14, 2020. The Baloch Yakjehti Committee began organizing protests, sit-ins, and hunger strikes across Balochistan, raising awareness about human rights violations, the issue of missing persons, and other grievances. The Committee later became widely known as the Baloch Yakjehti Committee.

Led by Dr. Mahrang Baloch, Sammi Deen, and Sebghatullah Shah Ji, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee organized the Baloch Raji Muchi to highlight the pressing issues facing the Baloch people, particularly human rights violations and enforced disappearances.

Protests after the Crackdown

Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but least developed province, has long been a center of conflict between local communities and the state. The recent wave of protests, led by Mahrang Baloch and organized by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), marks another chapter in this protracted struggle. The protests were initially triggered by the ongoing issue of enforced disappearances in Balochistan, where individuals, often activists and political dissenters, are abducted by state forces without legal proceedings or disclosure of their whereabouts.

The immediate catalyst for the current unrest was the enforced disappearance of Zaheer Ahmed, a local from Quetta, whose family had been protesting for over ten days, demanding his recovery. The protest gained momentum, drawing attention to broader grievances against state repression, economic marginalization, and the lack of political autonomy in Balochistan.

BYC caravan in Turbat

The state’s response to these peaceful demonstrations has been marked by violence and repression. Earlier, the BYC had announced a mass gathering named the “Baloch Raji Muchi” (Baloch National Gathering) in Gwadar, which houses the Gwadar Port under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Despite a $46 billion investment to develop the port, the local population continues to face severe neglect and underdevelopment.

Advocate Imran Baloch, a lawyer at the Balochistan High Court and a member of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, emphasized the broader implications of the struggle. “Balochistan’s issues, particularly Gwadar, are not merely local concerns as depicted by the state. They are international issues. The people of Balochistan have the right to question the management of their natural resources. According to Article 19 of the Constitution, we have the right to know who the signatories were and the terms and conditions pertaining to CPEC, the Sui Gas field, Reko-Diq, or Saindak.”

The Baloch Raji Muchi was seen by many in the region as a crucial platform for discussing issues affecting the Baloch community. However, the administration’s crackdown on the gathering has sparked widespread concern among the residents of Balochistan. Many view the authorities’ actions as an infringement on their right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.

If CPEC were truly meant to uplift Balochistan, why aren’t there factories or industries being established here?

Security forces in Talaar, Gwadar, and other cities across Balochistan launched a brutal crackdown on protesters. Police used tear gas, baton charges, and even opened fire on the crowds, resulting in multiple casualties. At least three protesters were killed, and dozens more were injured. The violence was particularly severe in Noshki and Gwadar, where the rallies were most prominent. In Noshki, a man named Hamdan Baloch was reportedly killed by Frontier Corps firing.

The government also suspended internet and mobile connections, blocking highways in different locations under the pretext of maintaining law and order, as stated by the provincial Home Minister of Balochistan, Ziaullah Langove.

BYC caravan in Panjgur, Makran.  Photo courtesy: Gidroshia Point 

This blockade of highways, network suspension throughout the Makran region, and the crackdown on peaceful protests led to mass demonstrations across the province, with sit-ins and rallies in major cities in solidarity with the protesters. The division also saw a shortage of food items and price hikes as major highways, such as the NA-28, were blocked.

“On July 28, the state used its full power to stop the Baloch Raji Muchi, martyred, injured, and arrested people. They attacked us with baton charges, tear gas, blocked the highways of entire Balochistan, and they blocked networks and the internet. But despite this, thousands of people came to Raji Muchi.” said Dr. Mahrang during the Gwadar sit-in.

Mahal Baloch, a political science student at Gwadar University and a resident of Sur Bandan, the same area where Mulana Haydullah hails from, voiced her concerns as a local of the CPEC city. “I came here to demand change. The people of this city need water, healthcare, and education. We should have the freedom to access the sea, which belongs to us,” Mahal exclaimed as she took a sip of water, a resource she had obtained with great effort from a friend. “Gwadar International Airport is scheduled to reopen on August 14th, but what use is an airport when the locals are so poor they can’t even afford food, let alone a plane ticket?”

Mahal, with her keen awareness of global politics, added, “CPEC is not designed to benefit Gwadar or Balochistan; it’s merely a route for China’s international trade. When the Strait of Malacca is closed or becomes a longer route for China, they will turn to this corridor to fulfill their trade and oil demands. If CPEC were truly meant to uplift Balochistan, why aren’t there factories or industries being established here? Why aren't any Orange Lines built here? Why hasn’t Pakistan asked China to set up mobile phone or automobile factories in this region?”

The crackdown by security forces has been widely condemned. Former Chief Minister of Balochistan, Dr. Abdul Malik Baloch, also condemned the crackdown, stating, “The state needs to solve the Balochistan issue through dialogue. No state has ever resolved an issue through force. Such gatherings and protests will continue in the future. The government must address the root causes of these protests and resolve the missing persons’ issue.”

Amnesty International, a global human rights organization, condemned the killings and mass arrests, calling on the Pakistani government to cease its repressive tactics and respect the rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. Babu Ram Pant, Deputy Regional Director for South Asia at Amnesty International, highlighted the pattern of state violence against Baloch protesters, urging immediate action to prevent further bloodshed.

After the BYC’s demands for compensating the families of those killed during the gathering, lifting the suspension of internet services, rolling back FIRs against protesters, and releasing those who had been arrested, the BYC eventually called off the sit-in in Gwadar.

To address the ongoing unrest in Balochistan, the state must adopt a comprehensive approach that prioritizes dialogue and development over repression. First and foremost, the government should engage in meaningful conversations with Baloch leaders and activists to address their legitimate concerns, particularly the issue of enforced disappearances. Establishing transparent mechanisms for accountability and justice in cases of human rights violations would be a critical step towards rebuilding trust with the local population. Additionally, the state should focus on socio-economic development in the region, ensuring that the benefits of projects like CPEC are equitably distributed to improve the lives of Balochistan’s residents. Investing in education, healthcare, and infrastructure within the province would not only uplift the local communities but also mitigate the grievances that fuel dissent. By respecting the rights of peaceful assembly and expression, and by showing a genuine commitment to resolving the root causes of the conflict, the state can pave the way for lasting peace and stability in Balochistan.