The Baloch Yakjehti Committee organized a demonstration in Hub Chowki, Balochistan’s industrial city, on December 22 in solidarity with Baloch families currently protesting in Islamabad. These families are demanding an end to enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and the safe return of missing Baloch individuals. Reportedly, the Hub Chowki protesters were booked on charges of blocking the highway.
According to reports, the protesters had gathered at Bhawani Chowki. The Hub police filed an FIR against the protest organizers and participants, including Arif Baloch, Zafar Marri, and several others who were named, along with approximately 350 to 450 unnamed individuals.
The Hub Chowki protest was part of a wave of demonstrations that swept across Balochistan in support of the Baloch families protesting in Islamabad for the safe release of their loved ones. The Islamabad police attempted to violently disperse the protesters late at night, using batons, tear gas, and cold water in the chilly winter weather.
The scenes, captured on camera, quickly spread on social media. The protesting families were imprisoned, and over 300 protesters were taken away.
The violent crackdown on the Baloch protesters in Islamabad led to a series of protests in Balochistan. Similar to Hub Chowki, FIRs were also registered against protesters in Khuzdar, Naal, Surab, Kohlu, and Dera Ghazi Khan