Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leader Mahrnag Baloch strongly condemned the violent crackdown on women and children in the Hub Chowki protest and demanded Baloch police officers to show moral courage and resign instead of following what she calls the illegal orders of the state.
She stated that despite the brutal attacks and arrests, the sit-in in Hub is still going on. She accused the so-called chief minister of Balochistan of directing the district administration to use force against peaceful protesters, including women and children.
“Baloch officers within the administration must refuse to carry out the oppressive and illegal orders of outsiders and instead resign from their positions,” she urged.
Mahrang Baloch further stated that state oppression has reached its peak in Balochistan. “On one hand, our loved ones are forcibly disappeared and on the other hand, when we protest peacefully for their release, we are subjected to torture and arrests,” she said.
She also warned that state forces have once again been heavily deployed to attack the protesters. She called upon the people of Hub to join the sit-in and express solidarity with the families of the missing persons.
Police Crackdown in Hub, leading to Arrests and Widespread Condemnation
Hub police reportedly launched a violent crackdown on the families of forcibly disappeared persons holding a peaceful sit-in at Bhawani Bypass on March 2. Security forces fired shots, baton-charged protesters, and arrested nine women, including Seema Baloch (sister of missing activist Shabir Baloch), Mahzaib Baloch (niece of Rashid Hussain Baloch), and Zafar Gishkori’s elderly mother, along with several children. According to protesters, the detainees were moved to an undisclosed location, sparking concerns over their safety. Despite the crackdown, protesters reoccupied the highway, refusing to end their demonstration.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) condemned the crackdown, stating the government was intimidating the families of the victims instead of addressing enforced disappearances.
Sammi Deen Baloch expressed deep concern over the missing women, stating that police stations had been sealed off, and even lawyers were denied access.
The Balochistan Bar Council also labeled the use of force against women and children as illegal and unconstitutional, accusing the government for increasing lawlessness. The Baloch National Movement (BNM) chairman, Dr. Naseem Baloch, compared the crackdown to Pakistan’s actions in Bangladesh in 1971, warning that the state’s policy of Baloch genocide is escalating.
The crackdown also drew widespread condemnation from Baloch activists, with Dr. Sabiha condemning the “state’s brutality” on the first day of Ramadan. She called on the United Nations, Amnesty International, and the EU to intervene, highlighting that Pakistan’s actions violate human rights commitments tied to its GSP+ trade status.
Seema Baloch, in a video statement revealed that she and other women were subjected to severe mental and physical torture during the 18-hour detention. She described how the police dragged, beat and threatened them, warning that they would be detained indefinitely if they did not end the protest. Despite the threats, she and the other women refused to back down, saying that if their forcibly disappeared brothers could endure years of torture, they were ready to face the same.
After negotiations, the arrested women were released and the protesters temporarily ended their sit-in, giving the government 15 days to meet their demand for the return of their missing loved ones. However, activists have warned that protests will intensify if the deadline is not met, signaling that resistance to enforced disappearances is far from over.