Balochistan [Pakistan], November 14 : Student unions in Quetta held a joint press conference to denounce the violent police action that took place at the Bolan Medical College (BMC) hostel on Tuesday night.
The incident, in which police raided the hostel, used tear gas on students, and made several arrests, including of female students, has sparked widespread outrage.
The unions criticized the Quetta police for exceeding their authority and ignoring the cultural sensitivities of the Baloch and Pashtun communities. They described the crackdown as a deliberate act of aggression, as reported by The Balochistan Post.
The student representatives reported that a small altercation had occurred between students at the college recently. Efforts were underway to peacefully resolve the situation through dialogue, which is a common approach in such instances. However, the Quetta police intervened aggressively, escalating the conflict.
According to the student unions, the police used the minor incident as an excuse to conduct a raid on the hostel, where they violently beat several Baloch and Pashtun students before arresting them. When students protested and called for the release of their fellow students, the police responded with tear gas and baton charges. There were also reports of female students being mistreated and subjected to verbal abuse.
According to the report, the unions stated that several students were injured or lost consciousness during the clashes, with many being forcibly dragged into police vans. While some female students were eventually released, a number of the arrested students are still in custody. The unions also alleged that the police specifically targeted young Baloch men from nearby areas, identifying them by their traditional attire and subjecting them to violence.
In their press conference, the unions described the raid as a deliberate attempt to create division between Baloch and Pashtun students. They accused the police, along with certain members of the college administration, of trying to incite internal conflict among the student body while simultaneously placing the blame on the students themselves.
One leader said, "This was a small matter, something we were trying to resolve using our own traditions of dialogue. But the police stormed in, took over the hostel, and assaulted our students. This is an attempt to restore the military's dominance over educational institutions, and we will not accept it."
The unions stressed that educational institutions should be environments of peace and learning, not places for police and security force interventions. They voiced concern that efforts are being made to stir tensions between the Baloch and Pashtun communities and to militarize these institutions.
In their list of demands, the unions called for the immediate release of all detained Baloch and Pashtun students by the end of the night, the dismissal of all false charges against them, the reopening of BMC hostels, and accountability for the police officers and college administration responsible for the incident.
They warned, "If our demands are not addressed by tonight, student unions throughout Balochistan will organize strong, democratic protests in response."
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