BSAC slams Balochistan govt's 'authoritarian' crackdown on protesting teachers, calls actions undemocratic, anti-worker

Balochistan [Pakistan], January 13 : The Baloch Students Action Committee (BSAC) has sharply condemned the Balochistan government's recent actions against protesting teachers, terming the crackdown "repressive" and "punitive" and linking it to a consistent pattern of silencing dissent in the province, as cited by The Balochistan Post (TBP) report.

In its statement, the BSAC spokesperson said that Balochistan's past showed that whenever demands for rights and justice were raised, successive governments responded with coercion rather than dialogue. The spokesperson said the present government's reaction to the Balochistan Grand Alliance's demands reflected the same mindset, calling it "disgraceful and anti-democratic," as noted by TBP.

The statement follows the government's suspension of 32 assistant professors and lecturers from the Higher Education Department for three months under the Balochistan Employees Efficiency and Discipline Act (BEDA) for participating in protests and strikes. Among those suspended were six female teachers along with Balochistan Grand Alliance chairman Abdul Qudoos Kakar. The alliance have been protesting for weeks over various employee-related demands.

According to the BSAC, instead of responding to what it termed "justified demands," the government chose to "suppress" protesting workers through harsh measures. The committee said it rejected these "anti-worker steps" but regarded the teachers' and employees' ongoing resistance as a principled struggle.

The spokesperson said the suspension and arrest of professors and lecturers, including women educators, was especially concerning at a time when the province's education sector was already facing serious challenges. The statement said that while the government repeatedly claimed to introduce reforms, it simultaneously suspended and detained teachers, even though they were among the most respected members of society.

The BSAC accused the provincial authorities of being afraid of "education and awareness", saying that dragging teachers into disciplinary action and targeting protest leaders exposed the government's true priorities. The spokesperson said this showed that public welfare and education were not the concern and that maintaining power was the only objective. Referring to talks between the government and the Balochistan Grand Alliance, the organisation said the alliance's demands were legitimate and that an agreement had already been reached, but when it came to implementation, the government stepped back, showing what it called non-seriousness and bad faith, as highlighted by the TBP post.

The BSAC further said it supported the ongoing protests by the Balochistan Grand Alliance and blamed the government for pushing educational institutions toward shutdowns due to stubbornness and rigidity. It added that restrictions on political activity and curbs on free expression had become routine, describing them as signs of "political failure", TBP reported.

The BSAC said it could not remain silent in the face of what it termed the disgrace of teachers and the use of force against peaceful demonstrators. The organisation demanded that the government abandon coercive actions and resolve the matter through peaceful engagement, urging authorities to address the demands instead of relying on suppression, as cited by the TBP report.

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