Pakistani authorities have reportedly threatened leaders of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) with death if they do not end their sit-in protest in Gwadar.
The Gwadar protest, initially planned as a one-day event, has now entered its seventh day due to ‘state violence’ against participants of the ‘Baloch National Gathering.’
The Balochistan Post has learned that a government delegation warned BYC leaders, including Dr. Mahrang Baloch and Sammi Deen Baloch, that they would be shot if the protest continued.
These threats were allegedly issued by an officer from Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), who has been stationed at the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Gwadar and has reportedly been tasked with sabotaging the ‘Baloch National Gathering’ and the ongoing sit-in
Meanwhile, Negotiations between the BYC and the government are ongoing, but the BYC accuses authorities of using them as delaying tactics to intensify state crackdowns.
In a recent statement on X (formerly Twitter), the BYC described the negotiations as “insincere, intended to disperse protesters and increase brutal suppression, leading to more bloodshed.”
The BYC demands the registration of First Information Reports (FIRs) for those killed and injured during the Baloch National Gathering protests and the release of all detained individuals.
They also call for the withdrawal of FIRs against participants, assurances of no further harassment and detentions, the reopening of blocked roads, and the restoration of internet services.
Although authorities have suggested that these demands will be met, recent incidents have once again intensified tensions. On Friday in Noshki, security forces opened fire on a BYC rally, resulting in one death and multiple injuries. In Karachi, police detained several BYC protesters, including women, during a demonstration.
These actions, according to the BYC, reveal the authorities’ hypocritical intentions, using force against peaceful demonstrators to continue their campaign against BYC activists and leaders.
The BYC urged the Baloch people to sustain and intensify their protests in the face of what they describe as a “bloody campaign,” warning that without resistance, the state will continue its actions unimpeded.
Meanwhile, Dr. Mahrang Baloch, the central organizer of BYC, declared on Friday that protests and sit-ins would continue across Balochistan until their demands are fully implemented. She disputed government claims that supporters had been released, asserting that many remain in custody.