March 24, 2025
Staff Report
LAHORE
Balochistan remains on a razor’s edge, as escalating protests threaten to plunge the region into further turmoil after Friday’s incident, when a police crackdown on protesters left three people dead and several injured followed by the arrest of Baloch leader Dr Mahrang Baloch.
Three days later, protests are still erupting across Balochistan, over the arrest. Dr Mahrang Baloch who is the chief organizer of the Baloch Yekehti Committee (BYC) and 16 others were arrested from the protest camp at Quetta’s Sariab Road on Saturday.
Meanwhile, internet and mobile networks have been shut down in many cities across the province, especially during protests. The national highways in Balochistan have also been blocked at several points, while arrests, lathi charge and tear gas shelling have also been used by the police and administration to disperse the protesters, resulting in casualties.
Bebarg’s arrest
The current wave of protests by the BYC began after the Dr. Mahrang Baloch, Beberg Baloch and others held a press conference at the Quetta Press Club claiming that the bodies being kept in the civil hospital were being posed as those of militants, while they had the possibility of being those of missing persons. They said that those who had been previously disappeared were targeted in torture chambers and then after they were killed they were portrayed as attackers.
As a result of this press conference, police raided Beberg’s house and took him along with his brother Dr. Hamal Baloch into custody, after which the BYC started their protest on Sariab Road in Quetta.
The bodies of the deceased from Civil Hospital were also placed at the camp.
Friday’s protest
Tension sparked after the police raided the BYC sit-in where the protesters were demanding the release of Bebarg Baloch. A police crackdown on the protesters ended up with three people losing their lives – including a 12-year-old boy and leaving several others injured. Dr Mahrang Baloch and others were arrested some hours after this incident and were sent to jail under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (or 3 MPO).
As an instant reaction, protests erupted across Balochistan. National highways were blocked across the province; tyres were burnt on the roads; shutter-down strikes were held and rallies were also taken out in Khuzdar, Kech, Panjgur, Nushki, Kharan and other areas.
Arrested and jailed
On Sunday, 150 people along with Mahrang were booked by Sariab police, Quetta, in a terrorism case over charges of ‘forcibly taking away bodies from a morgue’ and ‘incitement to violence’. Other alleged offences include murder, attempted murder, incitement to violence and rebellion, creating disorder, promoting racial hatred, and property damage.
However till today (Monday), Dr Mahrang has not been produced before any court, and because she has not appeared since her arrest and her whereabouts are not clear, she may fall under the category of missing person. Details of her arrest have not been officially disclosed, however reports indicate that she remains in Quetta District Jail for a month at least, under Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) provisions, along with five others including another prominent protester Beebow Baloch. The case includes provisions of “interference in government affairs” and “treason”.
In a conversation with Voicepk, Saira Baloch, a BYC activist said that the state was trying to turn tables by throwing blame on BYC and filing cases against their activists, rather than taking responsibility for the death of the three victims.
“The police killed and detained the protesters and disappeared others,” she said. “When the protesters did a sit-in with the bodies, a crackdown was again launched against them while the bodies were also disappeared.”
According to Saira Baloch, the state registered a case against peaceful protesters by killing them. “This is the law, this is justice and the constitution,” she said bitterly. “Protests are erupting across Balochistan against this incident and they will continue until Dr. Mahrang Baloch and Bebarg Baloch are rescued,” she warned.
Protests across province
While Quetta has seen the worst of the violence, in other parts of Balochistan, strikes and sit-ins are continuing including places like Turbat, Dhadar and Nushki, where a large number of women are present in protest camps and are demonstrating, while the administration is trying to disperse the protesters.
According to the BYC over 130 workers and protesters have been arrested across 18 districts of the province in a single day. There have been incidents of firing, use of water cannon, tear gas shelling while protesters have also reported being baton charged. They however denied allegations of any vandalism of government property.
On Sunday the administration took action on those protesting at the Karachi-Quetta National Highway in Hub district. There were shots fired at them including women, while tear gas shells were also fired, after which the protesters dispersed. A local worker of BYC was arrested.
BYC member Naz Jan Baloch told Voicepk that “instead of negotiating, the government has chosen to resort to oppression and even bodies were being ‘detained and disappeared’.
First the BYC organizer is arrested, then a military confrontation is being conducted against the women protesters. By directly firing, we are being given a message that we deserve a separate homeland”.
Administration’s response
Meanwhile the Commissioner of Quetta Division Hamza Shafqat has blamed BYC for the violence. In his statement he said that the violent protesters of BYC attacked the police, and that this was the reason that three people lost their lives.
At the same time, provincial government spokesman Shahid Rind told media that the police took action to disperse the protesters and open highways, as a result of which 10 people, including police officers were injured.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti has given an even harsher statement in accordance to the current situation in the province and has said that strict action will be taken against those protesting on national highways.