March 22, 2025
Staff Report
QUETTA
Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) chief organiser Dr Mahrang Baloch was arrested after police dispersed a sit-in demonstration that left three people dead, said one of the other BYC leaders, Dr Sabiha Baloch.
Tension had already been flaring in the provincial capital since the sit-in and on Friday as police used tear gas, water cannons, and blank shots to disperse the BYC demonstration it left three protesters dead. The protest, held on Sariab Road near the University of Balochistan, was calling for the recovery of two missing activists, including one of the main BYC leaders Bebarg Baloch, and condemning the recent arrests of BYC members. Apart from the casualties, the crackdown resulted in casualties, injuries, and widespread unrest.
“The police arrested Dr Mahrag Baloch along with several other families of victims at around 3 am, Saturday),” Dr Sabiha told Voicepk. She added that the protesters were subjected to violence; police officers beat them with batons and threw them aside. The coffins of those killed in the firing were dragged away.
“Dr Mahrang Baloch and four other women were arrested, and all the family members present with the bodies were also taken into custody,” said the BYC leader. However, there was still no official confirmation from the police and Balochistan government officials about Dr Mahrang Baloch being taken into custody of any law enforcement agency.
The protest
The sit-in protest by the BYC workers had gathered on Sariab Road, carrying banners and placards, and chanting slogans against the arrests of Bebarg Baloch, his brother—a senior doctor at Bolan Medical College whose son as well as son-in-law were also picked up. The protesters later moved to Munir Mengal Road, where they set up a sit-in camp. However, a heavy police contingent arrived at the scene, baton-charging the demonstrators and using water cannons to dismantle the camp. Police also fired blank shots to disperse the crowd.
Dr Sabiha Baloch recounted the police action against the demonstration.
“When we reached the protest site, police began arresting our people,” she said. “As more protesters gathered, the police opened fire.”
“We saw people falling in front of us. Eight were injured, two critically. One was shot in the neck, and another suffered liver damage. We managed to retrieve two bodies, but the third one was taken by the police and buried overnight under pressure.”
Abdul Karim, a relative of one of the injured, shared his harrowing experience with Voicepk.
“My cousin was returning from his clinic when he was shot,” he said tearfully. “He is now fighting for his life in the trauma center. Its Ramzan, but we are not thinking about iftar or sehri; we are just trying to dodge their bullets.”
Aggressive police action
Meanwhile in a video message posted on the BYC social media page late Friday night, Dr Mahrang Baloch announced that three protesters were killed by police action, while 13 others were injured.
“We were peacefully protesting for the recovery of our missing comrades, but the police responded with violence,” she said. “They used excessive force, firing live rounds and tear gas indiscriminately.”
Mahrang said they had no idea what condition Bebarg and his brother were in, but they had been targeted only because of their work on human rights and fake cases had now been slapped upon them.
Following the crackdown, the BYC announced a province-wide shutter-down and wheel-jam strike for Saturday, calling for solidarity against the arrests and alleged police brutality. In Quetta, internet and mobile services were suspended, and all major markets and shops remained closed in response to the strike call.
Earlier in a statement issued late Friday, Balochistan government spokesman Shahid Rind confirmed that at least nine police personnel, including a female constable, were injured during the protest. He claimed that protesters had pelted police with stones and physically assaulted them, prompting the police to act “according to the law” to reopen the blocked roads.
Rind emphasised that the government would not allow anyone to take the law into their own hands. “The government cannot remain a silent spectator if someone creates a law and order situation. We will fulfill our responsibilities to protect the lives and property of the people,” he said. He also noted that the cause of the three deaths could not be determined until medico-legal proceedings were completed.
Social organizations condemns
HRCP, the country’s human rights watchdog released a statement on Friday, saying, the organization has taken note of the escalating situation in Quetta, where reports have emerged of increasing casualties among protestors. Ironically the protest had been about demanding an end to enforced disappearances and the illegal use of force by the authorities. The authorities must immediately cease to use force against peaceful protestors and release those arbitrarily detained. The use of disproportionate and unlawful kinetic means by the state must cease immediately to pave way for a purposeful political solution.
The central spokesperson of the National Party (NP) also condemned the incident. In a released statement, NP announced its support for the shutter-down and wheel-jam strike called by the families of Baloch missing persons and the BYC. It condemned the police baton charge, violence, arrests, and deaths of ‘young people during their peaceful demonstration against the government’.