Thousands of people across Balochistan and Karachi took to the streets on Sunday in response to a call by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), demanding the safe release of its detained leaders. The protests, which included significant participation from women and children, were met with a heavy-handed response from security forces in multiple cities.
Demonstrations were held in major cities and towns across Balochistan including Dalbandin, Kalat, Mastung, Gwadar, Quetta, Hub Chowki, and Turbat. Protesters marched through the streets chanting slogans, with many holding placards denouncing the alleged “illegal detention” of BYC leaders. In several areas, security forces attempted to forcibly disperse the crowds, resulting in violent confrontations.
Outside Balochistan, a large protest was organized in Karachi’s Baloch-majority area of Malir. Videos circulating on social media showed demonstrators chanting slogans such as “Resistance is alive,” while clashing with police. Eyewitnesses reported that police resorted to baton charges and, alarmingly, opened live fire on the protestors. The footage also shows scenes of chaos, with law enforcement seen dragging protestors, including women, on the streets in an attempt to break up the demonstration.
In Hub Chowki, protesters braved extreme summer temperatures to demand the release of the detained BYC leadership. Social media videos from the scene show police physically assaulting both male and female demonstrators, forcibly removing them from protest sites.
Across Balochistan, the state responded with a heavy police presence. In cities like Turbat, Gwadar, Quetta, Mastung, and Kalat, protestors were surrounded by large numbers of police vehicles and officers on foot, who closely monitored and trailed the marches in an effort to contain and eventually dissolve the gatherings.
Despite the crackdown, demonstrators remained defiant. They chanted slogans condemning what they called the Balochistan government’s violent suppression of peaceful dissent and accused security forces of escalating tensions through excessive use of force. Protest leaders reiterated their demand for the immediate release of BYC members, warning that protests would continue if their voices were not heard.
As the protests unfolded, a near-complete shutdown was observed in many parts of Balochistan. Shops and markets remained closed and several major transport routes were blocked, bringing daily life to a halt.
The BYC has called the crackdown “state brutality” and vowed to persist in its campaign until all detained leaders are released unconditionally.
