Balochistan: Mahrang Baloch appeals to human rights organisations to take notice of internet blackout in Dalbandin

Baloch activist Mahrang Baloch has called on human rights organisations to address the internet blackout in Dalbandin. She also urged the international community to intervene and ensure the restoration of internet services while safeguarding the fundamental rights of the Baloch people.

Sharing a post on X, she wrote, “I appeal to human rights organizations to immediately take notice of the internet blackout in Dalbandin and actively intervene to prevent a potential crackdown on the peaceful Baloch national gathering. Such actions not only stifle freedom of expression and assembly but also set a dangerous precedent of suppressing dissent through force and digital censorship.”

“I urge these organizations to pressure the authorities to restore internet services without delay and to ensure that the fundamental rights of the Baloch people to assemble peacefully and voice their concerns are respected. The international community must not remain silent in the face of these repressive measures, as their silence could embolden further human rights violations in the Balochistan,” the post added.

Notably, the internet blackout comes days before Baloch Genocide Remembrance Day, scheduled for January 25, when the people of Balochistan will come together to protest the ongoing atrocities.

Serious concerns are being raised due to this history of repression, with fears that the government may use violence to suppress peaceful opposition in Dalbandin once again.

The internet blackout heightens concerns among Baloch Youth Conference (BYC) organizers about a possible crackdown on the event. The shutdown severely limits the Baloch people’s ability to record and share their experiences of human rights violations, as communication routes are cut off.

On Thursday, Mahrang Baloch, in her post on X, said that Pakistani authorities have imposed an internet blackout in Dalbandin. The post noted that the digital crackdown is reminiscent of an unsettling trend. Similar internet restrictions were imposed during the Baloch National Gathering in Gwadar in July last year, where organisers and attendees of the event were brutally suppressed afterwards.