Mahrang Baloch urges united front against Pakistan’s oppression of Baloch people

Prominent Baloch rights activist Maharang Baloch urged the Baloch community to gather in Gwadar on July 28 for the Baloch National Gathering (Baloch Raaji Muchi) to demonstrate the unity and strong spirit of the Baloch people, The Balochistan Post reported.

Announced earlier this month, the Baloch National Gathering (BNG) is intended to unite the Baloch community against the atrocities inflicted by Pakistan, including, enforced disappearances, torture, targeted killings; and economic exploitation.

Aiming to raise awareness of the meeting, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) has been organising awareness campaigns in several parts of Balochistan, namely the Sariab and Hudda areas of Quetta district and the Killi Qadirabad area of Noshki district in Balochistan, The Balochistan Post reported.

However, one of these awareness meetings was attacked in the Khuzdar area of Balochistan this week.

Reportedly, the Pakistani forces had detained several young Baloch women on the sidelines of the pamphlet distribution campaign for the BNG.

The detentions of these women were orchestrated in a violent attack by Frontier Corps (FC) personnel.

Later, the Baloch community expressed their dissent and accused the Pakistani state of escalating its repression of Baloch.

According to the BYC, the arrests took place on Khand Road in Khuzdar city as the women were distributing pamphlets promoting the Baloch National Gathering.

Among those detained are Saira Baloch, the sister of forcibly disappeared individuals Asif and Rasheed, and Sadia Baloch, the sister of Salman.

Mahrang Baloch, a prominent Baloch activist, condemned the detentions in a scathing post on ‘X’.

“This act is akin to pouring oil on a fire. The incompetent rulers and institutions of this state have no idea what they are doing,” she wrote. Mahrang warned that if Saira, Sadia, and the other detained women are not released immediately, “the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) will soon announce its next course of action.”

Local sources confirmed that the detained women are being transported in FC vehicles to an undisclosed location. This development has led to widespread protests in Khuzdar, with reports of the Pakistani forces using gunfire to disperse the demonstrators.

Human rights organisations and activists have vehemently condemned these actions.

The Human Rights Department of the Baloch National Movement (BNM), PAANK, denounced the detentions in a statement on ‘X’.

“Pakistani forces have surrounded Saira Baloch and other family members of forcibly disappeared individuals, illegally detaining several women,” the statement read. “PAANK condemns these actions and calls for their immediate release. Such abuses must not be tolerated.”

Moreover, the BYC has urgently appealed to international human rights organisations to intervene and advocate for the immediate release of the detained women.

The situation underscores a troubling trend of increased repression against Baloch activists and peaceful demonstrators in Balochistan, as reported by The Balochistan Post.