The Islamabad police violently cracked down on Baloch students peacefully protesting against the “enforced disappearance” of other Baloch students from Balochistan and for the safe release of Hafeez Baloch and Dileep Baloch. The students carried out a peace walk from Islamabad National Press Club to D-Chowk, carrying placards and banners and chanting slogans for the safe release of their fellow students. The police baton-charged the protestors when they were setting up a protest camp in front of the press club – several students were wounded in the assault and taken to the hospital for treatment.
Hundreds of Baloch students studying in different universities of Islamabad gathered in front of the Islamabad National Press Club on Tuesday to protest against the racial profiling of Baloch students in the universities and the safe release of their companions. The students carried out a press conference in the press club and said that Baloch students studying in different universities of Punjab and Islamabad are being harassed. They said that the Punjab police had forcefully detained four Baloch students from the university hostels in Lahore. They were kept in custody for several days and then released after much effort.
The speakers said that in the Gujrat University, Baloch and Pashtun students were summoned by the university administration on the pretext of meeting an HEC (Higher Education Commission) team. When the students arrived, they were asked inappropriate and personal questions. The supposedly “HEC team” searched their phones, read their private conversations and browsed through their social media accounts.
The student leaders also recounted the events leading to the “enforced disappearance” of Hafeez Baloch, an MPhil scholar in the Physics Department of Quaid-e-Azam University, who was detained from Khuzdar. The speakers said that Hafeez Baloch was summoned for interrogation by Major Murtaza, an army officer, in the Quaid-e-Azad University. Hafeez could not answer the summons as he was busy with his studies. Major Murtaza called and threatened him that if he did not show up, he will face severe consequences.
The speakers said that Hafeez Baloch went to Khuzdar to spend the holidays there. He was forcefully detained by Pakistani forces from a private science academy where he taught part-time. The students said that Major Murtaza and his accomplices are behind his disappearances. Furthermore, the major has been involved in the interrogation and racial profiling of other Baloch students in Quaid-e-Azam University. The students said that we have incontrovertible evidence to support our claims.
The speakers said that Baloch students carried out a demonstration in front of the National Press Club, organized a three-day protest camp in Quaid-e-Azam University, ran social media campaigns and approached the university administration for the safe release of Hafeez Baloch, but to no avail. All their pleas fell on deaf ears.
They said that instead of releasing Hafeez Baloch, the Pakistani force detained another Baloch student, Dileep Baloch, on February 26 from Balochistan’s Barkhan district. Dileep Baloch, an MA English student at the Islamia University of Bahawalpur, was going home on holidays when he was “abducted” along the way.
The Baloch student leaders said that we appeal to the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, the administration of the Quaid-e-Azad University, human rights groups and the Pakistani authorities for the safe release of Hafeez Baloch and Dileep Baloch. They said that the authorities must take notice of the incidents of racial profiling and harassment of Baloch students in different universities of Punjab and Islamabad.
Dileep Baloch was released a few hours after the press conference.
Police Crackdown
The Islamabad Police violently cracked down on the peaceful student protestors. The students were trying to set up a hunger strike camp in front of the National Press Club when the police descended upon them with batons and tear gasses. The police also confiscated the mobile phones of several students, including the smartphone of activist Imaan Mazari, the daughter of Shireen Mazari, Pakistan’s Human Rights Minister. The police also confiscated the poles of the tent that was meant to be erected before the press club.
The Baloch students were terribly beaten with the cudgels. The students received heavy blows on their heads and limbs. Photos and videos of the confrontation were shared on social media which show the Islamabad Police pushing the students away from the press club and charging them with batons. Several students were critically injured – some received blows on their heads, ribs and hands. They were transferred to the hospital for treatment.
Videos of the incident went viral on social media. Activists, politicians and student leaders vehemently condemned the crackdown on peaceful Baloch students. They said that every citizen in this country has the constitutional right to protest against the government, and the authorities cannot take away this right.
Some even questioned whether the Pakistani authorities would have adopted the same attitude if the protestors were members of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. They said that the government is ready to negotiate with these “extremist, hardline ideologues” but for peaceful students, it considers violence and aggression as the last resort.
Activist and student leader Dr. Mahrang Baloch tweeted: “State’s biased behaviour is not new for us. It has been dealing baloch nation with extreme violence for 70 yrs. Baloch students of Isl were peacefully protesting for their enforced disappeared friend but police have dealt them with force.we must stand up against this barbarism.”
“I condemn State brutality by Islamabad CT Police on Baloch Students. Intimidation aggression & un-democratic behaviour creates further alienation amongst the Baloch Nation. GoB should take immediate notice of the incident, issues relating to our students must be resolved”, former Chief Minister Balochistan Aslam Raisani tweeted.
“Highly condemnable , how can they do that?” journalist Asma Shirazi asked.
Baloch journalist Kiyya Baloch said: “Not easy 2 win over these youth with this attitude. These youngsters r protesting in #Islamabad for safe recovery of one their fellows, Hafeez B, disappeared in Khuzdar while visiting his family. Some youth r sensitive,&such mistreatments can back backfire.