The series of protests that began in the provincial capital Quetta against the Ziarat incident have rippled across Balochistan and beyond. Hundreds of people have come out on the streets in Turbat, Islamabad and European countries like Germany against the alleged “fake encounter” of the Baloch missing persons by the Pakistani security forces in Ziarat. The protestors are calling for justice for the victims and their family members and demanding that the culprits be prosecuted and punished.
A demonstration was carried out in the federal capital Islamabad against the alleged “fake encounter” of the Baloch missing persons in Quetta. The demonstration, organized by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, was joined by activists and student leaders who carried banners and placards featuring the portraits of the victims of the alleged “fake encounter.” The demonstrators marched on the streets of Islamabad, chanting slogans against the Ziarat incident and calling for justice for the victims.
The rally culminated in front of the National Press Club where the speakers addressed the gathering. They said that the Baloch are being “oppressed” by the Pakistani security forces. they said that the “enforced disappearances”, kill-and-dumps and “fake encounters” equate to genocide that is unfolding in Balochistan. The demonstrators also condemned the violence against the families of the victims who were baton-charged and tear-gassed by the Quetta police during a protest. The demonstrators said that the government must launch a judicial inquiry into the Ziarat incident and bring the culprits to justice.
Beyond the borders, a demonstration was also carried out in Berlin, Germany, against the alleged “fake encounter” of the Baloch missing persons. Scores of individuals gathered in front of the American and the French embassies in Berlin and demanded justice for the victims and their families. The demonstrators also distributed pamphlets detailing the human rights violations allegedly carried out by the Pakistani forces in Balochistan.
The demonstrators said that the Pakistani forces killed at least 11 Baloch missing persons after failing to rescue an army officer kidnapped by the Baloch “pro-independence” groups. They said that the silence of the human rights groups has emboldened the Pakistani forces to accelerate this “inhumane” practice.
The families of victims of the Ziarat incident launched a three-day sit-in protest in front of the Governor’s House in Quetta. The families are joined by members of the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons, the National Democratic Party, the Baloch Women Forum and the Baloch Yakjehti Committee. Pashtun leader and MNA Mohsin Dawar also joined the protest and expressed solidarity with the family members of the victims.
The protestors gave a three-day ultimatum to the government and said that if their demands are not met, the protests will be expanded to other areas of Balochistan. The protestors have presented three demands: the government must launch an inquiry into the Ziarat incident; the Baloch missing persons are safely released, and the families must be assured that their missing loved ones will not be executed in “fake encounters”
Addressing the gathering, Mohsin Dawar said that no state can force its citizens to back away from a rightful protest. He said that states do not work like that – the Baloch and the Pashtun nations will work together to safeguard their rights.