Quetta [Pakistan], July 20 : On the fourth consecutive day of a sit-in protest by families of forcibly disappeared persons and detained leaders of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), Pakistani authorities have intensified efforts to suppress the demonstration by barring families from reaching the protest site and sealing off roads leading to the Islamabad Press Club, the BYC reported.
Since the protest began, the demonstrators, including women, children, and elderly family members, have been denied the right to set up tents or a proper camp. Despite facing harsh weather conditions ranging from heavy rain to intense heat, they have steadfastly continued their peaceful protest barefoot and without shelter, according to the BYC.
The latest move by Pakistani authorities to block access to the protest area reflects a clear attempt to silence the voices of the Baloch community demanding justice for the forcibly disappeared and detained individuals, the committee stated.
The BYC condemned the ongoing restrictions on the fundamental right to peaceful assembly and called out the illegal detention of their leaders, describing these actions as part of a systematic campaign by the Pakistani state to suppress Baloch political expression and human rights advocacy.
"The sealing off of roads leading to the Islamabad Press Club is a deliberate effort to crush our peaceful protest and intimidate families seeking answers about their missing loved ones," the BYC said in a statement.
The protest is part of a broader movement highlighting the plight of thousands of Baloch who have reportedly been subjected to enforced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings in Pakistan, as documented by various human rights organisations.
Meanwhile, in Balochistan's Nokundi area, Shah Dur Mengal, a poor civilian and driver involved in cross-border fuel trade, was killed on July 18 by direct fire from the Federal Constabulary (FC), the BYC reported. Mengal, the sole breadwinner of his family, was shot indiscriminately by FC personnel. Following his killing, family members blocked the Baab-e-Umar entry point and placed his body on the main highway to demand justice.
The blockade remains in effect, with widespread shutdowns observed in Nokundi and surrounding areas, including Chaghi, Dalbandin, Chahtar, and Yakmach, where markets remain closed in solidarity.
The BYC has called on civil society, media, human rights organisations, and the international community to stand in solidarity with both the peaceful protesters in Islamabad and the bereaved families in Balochistan, urging an end to violence, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings of Baloch people.
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