The Baloch Students Council Punjab has expressed deep concern over the ongoing harassment, profiling, and forced eviction of Baloch students from hostels at Punjab University, Lahore. In an official statement, the Council condemned what it termed a systematic campaign to isolate and marginalize Baloch students within academic institutions.
According to the Council’s spokesperson, these actions are part of a broader state-led effort to hinder access to education for Baloch youth and are aimed at pushing them away from academic pursuits. The spokesperson further stated that what began as a crackdown and wave of enforced disappearances in Balochistan has now extended to educational institutions in Punjab.
“When Baloch students, escaping repression in their home province, come to Punjab seeking better educational opportunities, they are met with discrimination and daily humiliation,” the spokesperson said.
The statement highlighted that under the guise of a “disciplinary committee,” intelligence agencies have been given a free hand within the university. Agents reportedly stop students on campus, enter classrooms and departments, and issue threats, warning students against participating in political activities. “The university now resembles a military cantonment more than a place of learning,” the Council remarked.
Moreover, Baloch students are allegedly being coerced into recording video statements in praise of the university administration. Those who resist face expulsion from hostels, creating an atmosphere of fear designed to force them out of education entirely.
The Council also noted a disturbing trend of unauthorized individuals interrogating Baloch students about their political views and organizational affiliations. The situation for Baloch female students was described as even more alarming. The statement claimed that they are often targeted based on their language and traditional dress, and if seen together in groups, they are issued warning letters by university authorities.
The Baloch Students Council called upon all student organizations, civil society groups, and human rights institutions to raise their voices against these serious and troubling developments. “Denying Baloch students the right to education is an unacceptable act that must be strongly condemned,” the spokesperson concluded.