Balochistan [Pakistan], January 18 : Pakistani authorities have imposed several restrictions ahead of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) planned national gathering on January 25 in Dalbandin to commemorate "Baloch Genocide Remembrance Day."
Citing the Balochistan Government Servants (Conduct) Rules of 1979, the Deputy Commissioner of Chaghi, Ata ul Munim, issued a directive cautioning government employees against participating in political rallies or organisations. The directive ordered department heads to report violations for disciplinary action under the BEED Act 2011.
Moreover, the Balochistan government has declared Section 144 for a month, prohibiting gathering of five or more people and the public display of weapons, The Balochistan Post reported. Transport companies have been advised to suspend services for an entire week in Dalbadin. While formal notices have allegedly been issued, no official confirmation has been provided.
Simultaneously, an FIR was registered in Mastung against the BYC's central organiser, Mahrang Baloch and and other members of the organisation. The BYC termed the charges "baseless" and stressed that they were part of a broader campaign to suppress dissent and peaceful political exercise. Locals arranged stones on a mountainside to spell out "Bakhairat Mahran" (Welcome Mahrang) in Brahui in Dalbandin's Charsar area, in appreciation for her efforts.
The BYC denounced the FIRs and the limitations, claiming they were part of a larger effort to muzzle views of Baloch people, The Balochistan Post reported. The group asserted that the state abuses the law to target the Baloch people due to their identity and resistance to continuous repression, and accused authorities of selectively implementing laws such as Section 144 to suppress nonviolent protest.
Since last year, hundreds of FIRs have been filed against the BYC's leaders and members, the organisation said in a statement, many of which have been rejected by courts as baseless. Despite this, fresh cases keep coming up.
The BYC stressed that such actions will not impair the Baloch people's determination or leadership. The group appealed for intervention from human rights organisations and the international community, calling these measures "colonial" and "apartheid-like."
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