Baloch protesters have announced a Shutterdown Strike across Pakistan for January 3. This call comes amid ongoing protests in Islamabad, where demonstrators are voicing their discontent over what they perceive as a dismissive attitude from state officials.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), which has been at the forefront of organizing these protests, expressed their dissatisfaction with the government’s response in a social media post. “The state has consistently shown a half-hearted and uncommitted concern regarding our demands from the beginning,” they asserted, accusing state authorities of dismissing their movement as mere “propaganda.”
In response to the government’s perceived indifference, the BYC announced the planned strike. “On January 3, we are calling for a shutterdown demonstration across Pakistan. We urge people from all walks of life to support and respect our call for the strike in the name of humanity and the Baloch nation, aiming to preserve our identity,” the BYC announced in their statement.
The protesters had previously issued a seven-day ultimatum to the government on December 28, demanding actions that include the release of all detained protesters, a comprehensive investigation into human rights violations in Balochistan, an end to enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, restrictions on the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), and the dismantling of “state-sponsored death squads.”
The planned January 3 strike is intended to amplify awareness across Pakistan about the critical issues facing Balochistan, particularly enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. This action underscores the growing urgency and intensity of the Baloch people’s demands for justice and the safeguarding of human rights in Balochistan.