In Soorab, Balochistan, participants of the long march protesting against “Baloch genocide” reportedly faced police violence at the Beitgo Cross Sikandar Check post, resulting in injuries to two individuals, including a woman.
On Sunday, as the march proceeded from Khuzdar, it was hindered by roadblocks – containers placed between the Zawah Checkpoint and the Soorab Bypass. Despite these challenges, the protesters persevered, successfully reaching Soorab.
In Soorab, the marchers organized a sit-in at Goda Chowk, attracting hundreds of participants, among them relatives of missing persons. A desk was also set up for the registration of missing persons, underscoring the march’s focus on enforced disappearances.
However, tensions escalated as the participants prepared to move towards Kalat, encountering police aggression. “Women are being forced to return while men are threatened with arrest,” reported a protester, depicting a tense and oppressive atmosphere.
The long march, seeking justice and raising awareness against enforced disappearances and ‘fake encounters’, now faces the threat of the protesters themselves being subjected to enforced disappearance by security forces.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), in a statement on ‘X’, described the situation as “Ongoing State Terrorism Against Participants of Peaceful Long March.” The committee reported severe violence at the Sikandar checkpoint, where one woman was injured, and the youngest son of the disappeared individual, Zaheer, was left unconscious and taken to Kalat.
Furthermore, the BYC highlighted that the route to Kalat was blocked with containers and appealed for support from Kalat’s citizens for the protesters facing ongoing state aggression.
Despite these obstacles, the long march’s organizers are determined to continue, asserting that state oppression cannot halt their movement. The participants plan to camp in Kalat tonight, where hundreds await their arrival, before heading to Mangocher, Mastung, and ultimately Quetta.
This incident, coinciding with World Human Rights Day, casts a stark light on the contrasting realities in Balochistan and calls for global attention to protect the human rights of the Baloch populace.