Pakistan: BYC protesters face crackdown across Karachi and Balochistan

Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets across Karachi and Balochistan on Sunday, responding to a call from the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) demanding the safe release of its detained leaders.

As reported by The Balochistan Post (TBP), the protests witnessed widespread participation, including women and children, and were met with a harsh and often violent response from law enforcement personnel.

Protests were held in several key districts of Balochistan, including Dalbandin, Kalat, Mastung, Gwadar, Quetta, Hub Chowki, and Turbat. Protesters marched through public streets, raising slogans and holding placards denouncing the alleged “illegal detention” of BYC leaders.

In numerous locations, security forces attempted to forcefully disperse the protestors, leading to violent altercations between police and demonstrators, according to the TBP report.

In Karachi, a large protest unfolded in the Baloch-majority area of Malir. Social media footage captured protestors chanting “Resistance is alive” while confronting police. Eyewitnesses reported the use of baton charges and, alarmingly, the firing of live rounds by police officers. The TBP report confirmed that the video footage also showed chaotic scenes in which law enforcement personnel dragged demonstrators off the streets, including women, in an effort to disrupt the gathering.

In Hub Chowki, protestors endured the intense summer heat as they joined the call to action. Videos circulating online showed police officers physically assaulting both male and female protestors and forcibly removing them from protest sites, TBP added.

Despite the government crackdown, demonstrators remained defiant. Hundreds braved the harsh weather to respond to BYC’s call, many continuing to chant and march despite the escalating police response.

The TBP report emphasised that the protestors accused security forces of violently suppressing peaceful demonstrations and intensifying tensions through the use of excessive force.

Chanting slogans and holding firm in the streets, demonstrators denounced what they described as the Balochistan government’s violent crackdown, maintaining their demand for the safe and immediate release of the detained BYC leaders.