Five military helicopters and 13 buses carrying ‘unidentified personnel’ arrived in Gwadar on Wednesday morning, The Balochistan Post has learned.
Local sources said that these personnel are believed to be from the Pakistani military and intelligence agencies. The heightened security presence is reportedly linked to the upcoming ‘Baloch Raaji Muchi’ (Baloch National Gathering), scheduled for July 28 in Gwadar.
The ‘Baloch Raaji Muchi’ is a major event in Balochistan, aiming to highlight issues such as human rights violations, resource exploitation, and the alleged ‘genocide’ of the Baloch people.
Preparations for the national gathering are ongoing across the region, despite numerous reports of arrests and FIRs filed against members of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) and other organizers.
In the Hub district, FIRs have been filed against activists, including Sammi Deen, daughter of the missing Dr. Deen Muhammad, and Mah Zeb, niece of the missing Rashid Hussain.
Sammi Din posted on the social media platform X, saying: “In the awareness campaign for Baloch Raaji Muchi, multiple FIRs have been filed against activists from various regions of Balochistan, including Washuk, Mastung, and Kalat. Several individuals, including myself, have been named in the FIRs in Hub Chowki.”
https://x.com/SammiBaluch/status/1816094955607109743
She continued, “The false charges against the peaceful assembly at Hub Sakran pose significant challenges to the right to freedom of expression. It appears that baseless cases are being fabricated to intimidate Baloch political activists. I appeal to all human rights advocates to condemn such unlawful actions targeting peaceful activists.”
In the Washuk district, individuals collecting funds for the ‘Baloch Raaji Muchi’ were reportedly arrested by the police. In response, residents blocked Allah Akbar Chowk in protest.
On Tuesday, four members of the BYC were arrested by police in Karachi and reportedly handed over to intelligence agencies. Their whereabouts remain unknown.
At a press conference on Wednesday, BYC Central Organizer Dr. Mahrang Baloch claimed that the state is using its full might to sabotage the ‘Baloch Raaji Muchi’ in Gwadar. “Abducting BYC members, threatening people not to provide services for the gathering, and spreading fear among the public will not deter us from organizing a peaceful assembly,” she said.
Dr. Baloch warned that if the state deliberately disregards the law, resorts to violence, and creates obstacles for the ‘Baloch Raaji Muchi,’ the entire Balochistan would be blocked indefinitely.