January 3, 2024
By Aitzaz Ibrahim
LAHORE:
Despite dipping mercury, the sit-in protest outside Islamabad’s National Press Club against enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings of Baloch people has now entered its 21st day.
Political activist and organizer of the Turbat-Quetta-Islamabad long march, Dr. Mahrang Baloch, claims that the demonstration is facing consistent harassment from the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Police. As of Tuesday, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) has raised alarm over a large contingent of ICT personnel that have stationed themselves near the protest, and are reportedly preventing volunteers from supplying food, water and warm blankets to the demonstrators.
“A team sent by the CSP did not permit tents and blankets to reach the camp. They used delaying tactics with us, asking us why we need these items,” she said. “Everyone can see us sleeping out in the open under the sky. We have nothing to even lay down on. The volunteers supporting us were stopped. The SSP threatened people in front of the media [cameras].”
On Wednesday (today), Sammi Deen Baloch, daughter of missing person Dr. Deen Baloch, moved the Islamabad High Court through her counsel Ataullah Kundi against police harassment. Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, who heard Deen’s petition, restrained the police from disturbing the protest camp and its participants, and issued summons to the Deputy Commissioner as well as SSP Operations to appear in person before the court on January 5.
Additionally, the BYC issued calls for a voluntary shutter-down strike upon lapse of the seven-day ultimatum to the government for the acceptance of their demands. Traders and shopkeepers across various parts of Balochistan, including Turbat, Kalat, Sorab and Nushki districts, responded to the call by closing businesses today.
Meanwhile, Commissioner Makran Saeed Ahmed issued a notification for the suspension of 30 officials from Kech district and 14 from district Kohlu for allegedly supporting the Baloch long march and sit-in.
On Tuesday, a three-member bench of the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faiz Isa, heard the case against enforced disappearances filed by various petitioners. Adjourning the hearing till January 9, the ape court issued orders to the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances to provide a detailed report on all missing persons cases.