Protests Continue Across Balochistan as More BYC Activists Detained

Protests in Balochistan have entered a second week after the arrests of Dr Mahrang Baloch, Sammi Deen Baloch, and other senior leaders of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC).

Demonstrators throughout the region continue to demand the release of all detained activists, while also condemning what they call “state violence and enforced disappearances.”

On Thursday, a demonstration took place in Uthal, where participants carried banners and placards denouncing “enforced disappearances, extrajudicial arrests, and state violence.” Speakers demanded the immediate release of Dr. Mahrang Baloch and other detained activists.

In Turbat, Kech district, a candlelight vigil and silent walk were held at Shaheed Fida Chowk in memory of those reportedly killed when police opened fire on protesters in Quetta.

In a statement, BYC Kech said those who lost their lives “sacrificed themselves for a just cause.” It added that the arrests of Dr. Mahrang Baloch, Sammi Deen Baloch, and others would not weaken the movement but instead strengthen public resolve.

The group called on international human rights organizations to demand the release of all detained activists, including Bebarg Baloch, and to recognize what it described as a broader struggle for Baloch rights.

On Thursday, a large protest rally was also held in Kolwah, where participants took to the streets to demand the immediate release of Dr Mahrang Baloch, Sammi Deen Baloch, Bebarg Zehri, and other BYC leaders. Protesters raised slogans against state repression, calling the detentions “illegal and politically motivated.”

Protests were also reported in several other areas on Thursday, including Mashkhel, Nokundi, Surab, and Wadh, where demonstrators gathered to denounce the arrests and continued restrictions on civil liberties.

Meanwhile, in Quetta, BYC Shall Zone said a peaceful protest was scheduled for 11 a.m. to demand the release of detained activists and missing persons. The group noted that, despite having written permission from the Deputy Commissioner to hold the protest in front of the Quetta Press Club, security forces sealed off the area.

It also claimed that heavily armed police surrounded the protest site, blocked access, and arrested those attempting to gather.

Police Crackdowns and Detentions Continue

Meanwhile, Pakistani authorities continued to arrest BYC supporters in multiple cities across the region.

In Hub, police charged Imran Baloch, former chairman of the Baloch Students Organization (BSO), under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (3MPO) and transferred him to Central Jail Gaddani.

Imran Baloch was arrested during a sit-in protest at Bhawani, Hub Chowki, which was organised to demand the release of forcibly disappeared persons and detained BYC leaders. His transfer was authorised by the Deputy Commissioner of Hub.

Other BYC members, including female activists Mahzaib Baloch and Fauzia Baloch, were also arrested at Gadani Cross while returning from the Uthal protest. They were later released by a local court.

In Taunsa Sharif, police reportedly stormed a peaceful protest in Koh-e-Sulaiman and arrested several participants, including women.

The BYC condemned the police action and warned that a broader protest movement would be launched in Dera Ghazi Khan if the detainees were not released.

‘Public Resistance Is Making History,’ Says BYC

In a statement on Thursday, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee described the ongoing protests as a “historic moment of mass resistance against state repression.”

The group said that entire Balochistan was protesting against what it called “terrorism, brutality, and oppression perpetrated by the State of Pakistan.”

It said the arrests of BYC leaders — including Dr Mahrang Baloch, Sammi Deen Baloch, Bebarg Baloch, and Beebow Baloch — were aimed at silencing dissent. However, the statement said, their detentions had “only intensified the people’s outcry.”

The BYC claimed that “thousands of people from every city and village in Balochistan have taken to the streets” over the past few days, describing the protests as a “public referendum” against authoritarianism and coercion.

“The people of Balochistan have challenged this system of repression and are engaging in full-scale resistance,” the group said. “This state system based on tyranny and coercion is taking its last breaths.”

The BYC called on its members and supporters across all zones to intensify mobilisation efforts and continue organising protests throughout the region.

“Public resistance is the only path against repression,” the statement read. “In this struggle, it will be the oppressed people of Balochistan who will ultimately succeed.”

“No matter how brutal the crackdown may be, our resistance will not be crushed,”
the group declared, urging Baloch people to “rise, speak up, and resist.”