Baloch human rights body slams Pakistani authorities for escalating repression during Islamabad protest

Quetta, July 24 A leading Baloch human rights organisation, Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), on Thursday accused Pakistani authorities of escalating repressive tactics as Baloch families continued their sit-in protest in Islamabad for the ninth consecutive day. The ongoing protest calls for the release of the BYC leaders and an end to enforced disappearances.

“Instead of addressing their legitimate demands, Pakistani authorities have intensified intimidation and harassment. Heavy police deployment continues, and roads leading to the Islamabad Press Club remain sealed to isolate the protest and suppress visibility. After the protest hours, police are now following and threatening students and family members at their private residences, forcing them to vacate their flats,” the BYC stated.

“This systematic targetting of peaceful protestors, women, elderly, and children is not just a violation of democratic rights but a calculated act of cruelty designed to crush their resolve. Yet, despite intimidation, harassment, and isolation, these women and children remain unyielding. Their resilience is a powerful act of defiance, and they will continue their struggle,” it added.

The BYC demanded that these repressive tactics end immediately and called on conscious citizens, journalists, and rights defenders to raise their voices and stand in solidarity, stating that “silence at this moment is complicity”.

Meanwhile, Paank, the Baloch National Movement's Human Rights Department, unveiled a report on the protest titled 'Baloch missing persons’ families under the fault line of law in Islamabad', highlighting that, led by women and accompanied by children, these families were exercising what they believed to be their constitutionally protected right to peaceful assembly.

However, it stated that instead of receiving compassion, justice, or legal recourse, they were met with harassment, intimidation, and a blatant violation of their rights, as they were prevented from holding their protest outside the National Press Club in Islamabad.

The rights body mentioned that on the very first day, as monsoon rains lashed Islamabad, the families attempted to errect a simple tent for shelter. However, they were stopped by police and plainclothes men believed to be affiliated with Pakistani intelligence agencies, particularly the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). It further added that uniformed police officers stood by, offering no assistance or protection, yet actively prevented the families from setting up the tent or continuing their protest.

“In the days that followed, Islamabad authorities escalated their efforts to isolate and suppress the protest. Roads surrounding the National Press Club were closed off, limiting media access and cutting off the families from logistical support. Buses were brought in to forcibly remove protestors, echoing the violent crackdown on the Baloch missing persons’ families and used the words to ‘deport them to Balochistan’, which clearly states that the Baloch belong to a different country,” the report mentioned.

“These protestors are not political opponents, militants, or agitators. They are families. They are citizens. Their demand is a simple one: if their loved ones are accused of crimes, let them be presented before a court of law. If not, release them. This demand is firmly rooted in Pakistan’s Constitution,” it added.

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