Authors: Asif Baloch | Zamuran Baloch
An elderly man, holding a cane, expresses his enthusiasm amidst a sea of people, while a mother, cradling her newborn baby in her arms, joins the public protest. These are two of the many passionate scenes captured by the camera in recent days that have gone viral on social media. The locations and scenes in these images vary, but the goal of all participants is the same: to be part of the “Baloch Raaji Muchi.” What exactly is this gathering, and why are the Baloch so fervently committed to it, even at the risk of their lives? This is what we aim to understand.
What is “Baloch Raaji Muchi” (Baloch National Gathering)?
“Baloch Raaji Muchi” was essentially a public gathering scheduled for July 28 in the coastal city of Gwadar, Balochistan, the focal point of China-Pakistan economic interests. Organized by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), the gathering aimed to unite people from both Western and Eastern Balochistan to raise their voices against the injustices faced by the Baloch. One month prior to the event, on June 26, Dr. Mahrang Baloch, the organizer of the BYC, announced the date and location of the gathering through a video message.
In her video, Dr. Baloch outlined the objectives of the “Baloch Raaji Muchi,” stating: “The Baloch Raaji Muchi is for the release of our youth imprisoned in Pakistan’s inhumane torture cells. The gathering marks the beginning of a struggle to seek justice for the thousands of our people killed by the Pakistani military. It is for the rights of our drivers from Zamuran to Mashkel, for the economic rights of Baloch fishermen, for the Baloch farmers in Naseerabad, and a movement against the killings of thousands of Baloch in Karachi.”
She added, “The Baloch Raaji Muchi is a battle against the deliberately spread cancer in D.G. Khan, a voice against the hanging of Baloch youth in Western Balochistan, and a beacon of hope for the Baloch from the mighty mountains of Bolan to the plains of Makuran. It is a public struggle to transform the weakened status of the Baloch into a strength and force against the oppressive and tyrannical times.”
Highlights of the Baloch Raaji Muchi
The announcement of the “Baloch Raaji Muchi” by Dr. Baloch on June 26 set in motion extensive preparations across Balochistan. Corner meetings, small gatherings, and various programs were held in numerous areas. However, the Pakistani military and intelligence agencies began a relentless series of obstructions to these preparations.
FIRs were filed against members of the BYC in various regions. Restrictions were imposed, and arrests were made during the preparations and fundraising campaigns for the gathering. In Khuzdar, female workers of the BYC were detained by the FC while chalking, but due to public resistance, they were later released. Meanwhile, participants from Karachi, Quetta, Dera Ghazi Khan, and other areas faced enforced disappearances.
On the morning of July 27, participants were to depart in caravans from their respective areas. Forces erected obstacles to stop the marchers. The Raaji caravan from Nushki was halted by the ASP Police, while in Quetta, the capital city of Balochistan, roads were completely blocked with containers at Lak Pass and Sona Khan police station, stopping all traffic.
Former President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, Ali Ahmed Kurd, along with other lawyers, was stopped at Hazarganji when they set out from Quetta. Caravans departing from Karachi were stopped at Yusuf Goth Terminal. Due to intense resistance, caravans from Quetta, Dera Ghazi Khan, Barkhan, Kohlu, and surrounding areas managed to depart but were surrounded and stopped by Pakistani forces at Mastung. They were subjected to indiscriminate firing, injuring fourteen people. Following this, caravans from Quetta, Nushki, Kohlu, and Dera Ghazi Khan staged a sit-in at Mastung.
Caravans from Karachi were stopped all day at Hub and Uthal, while other participants staged a sit-in at Yusuf Goth. They were allowed to proceed late in the evening, and during this time, caravans trapped at Uthal and Hub Chowki managed to head towards Gwadar after resistance.
Caravans from Kharan, Dalbandin, and Khuzdar reached Panjgur without obstruction, but internet and mobile services were shut down in most areas of Balochistan, including the Makuran region. Caravans from Dalbandin, Kharan, and Khuzdar joined those from Panjgur, who were initially stopped at Balgatar but later proceeded after resistance, only to be stopped at Talaar.
The gathering was to be held on the evening of July 28 at Piddi Zir in Gwadar. However, all caravans from Balochistan entering Gwadar were stopped at Talaar, while those from Karachi were stopped at Kund Malir. Their vehicles’ tires were burst, and direct firing was opened on participants. They resisted throughout the day but were unsuccessful. Forces continued direct firing and sporadic baton charges. At Talaar, one person was killed due to the firing by the forces.
On July 28, while people from other regions were prevented from entering Gwadar, the city itself was under military siege. Nevertheless, thousands of locals, including many women, marched towards Piddi Zir. Armed military personnel were unable to stop the massive crowd. At Syed Hashmi Chowk, forces fired to disperse the people, causing one death and multiple injuries. In the evening, the gathering was held where Sammi Deen Baloch, Dr. Mahrang Baloch, and Sebghatullah Baloch addressed the participants, turning the National Gathering into a sit-in protest against the “brutal crackdown and state oppression.”
By the morning of July 29, protests and sit-ins had spread throughout Balochistan. Thousands of people were staging a sit-in in front of Balochistan University in Quetta. Hundreds were participating in sit-ins in Turbat and Panjgur, with rallies held in Khuzdar and Dalbandin. A complete wheel-jam and shutter-down strike was observed across Balochistan. People from Quetta, Dera Ghazi, Kohlu, Barkhan, and other areas continued their sit-in at Mastung, later moving to Quetta.
The Karachi caravan returned and staged a sit-in at Zero Point in Uthal. The Pakistani forces attacked the ongoing sit-in at Piddi Zir, leading to clashes between the Pakistani forces and Baloch protesters. BYC leaders Dr. Sabiha, Sammi Deen, and Sebghatullah were detained but later released due to intense public resistance. On the same day, provincial interior minister Zia Langove arrived in Gwadar, and the use of force against protesters increased upon his arrival.
On July 30 and 31, sit-ins and protests continued, with large-scale demonstrations in Quetta, Panjgur, and Turbat.
On the night of August 1, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) blocked roads in Karachi, reopening them after negotiations. On August 1, women heading to a press conference at Karachi Press Club were detained.
On August 2, BYC members gathered to hold a rally from Arts Council to the Press Club, but the police, already present, detained them. A sit-in for their release followed, and later that night, police used batons and detained the sit-in protesters. On the same day, forces opened fire on protesters in Dalbandin, injuring three people. A peaceful rally in Nushki was fired upon, injuring several individuals. Many were critically injured, and Hamdan Baloch succumbed to his injuries.
Protests were held in Islamabad and Lahore against the state crackdown on the Baloch National Gathering. Since July 27, Makuran remained under complete military siege and was cut off from other regions of Balochistan. Life in Balochistan was paralyzed, with business and daily activities coming to a halt. The government shut down all communication systems in Makuran, completely severing its connection with the outside world. The closure of the Makuran Coastal Highway led to severe shortages of food, medicines, and water in Gwadar and across Makuran, leaving people struggling for basic necessities.
Public Response
Human Rights Watch (HRW) expressed concerns over the crackdown, stating, “Since July 28, 2024, Pakistani authorities have detained hundreds in response to the Baloch national gathering, which demanded accountability for enforced disappearances in Balochistan. Such ‘disappearances’ have long been a feature of the conflict between the government and armed insurgents. Pakistan’s security forces have also used enforced disappearances to silence peaceful critics.”
Amnesty International raised concerns about the state’s use of force, stating, “There is concern over the unlawful and unnecessary use of force by the forces against participants of the Baloch national gathering.”
Former chairperson of the Baloch National Movement (BNM), Khalil Baloch, commented that the Baloch nation, through the “historic Raaji Muchi” in Gwadar, is raising its voice against enforced disappearances by the Pakistani military. This gathering is a fundamental human and national right. Baloch families are simply seeking basic human rights and justice for their loved ones as per Pakistan’s own constitution and law. However, the Pakistani military is “brutally using force to stop this gathering.”
John McDonnell, a leader of the Labour Party and Member of Parliament in the UK, stated at Westminster Hall that the attacks by Pakistani security forces on peaceful participants are “alarming.”
Front Line Defenders expressed deep concern over the violence and crackdown by Pakistani forces on peaceful protesters at the Baloch National Gathering.
A division bench of the Balochistan High Court, comprising Chief Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar and Justice Shaukat Ali Rakhshani, issued notices to the federal and provincial interior secretaries and the relevant commissioners on Thursday, August 1, in response to a constitutional petition filed by Nazir Baloch, a resident of Gwadar, seeking their response.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said it is “deeply concerned” about the situation in Balochistan, particularly in Gwadar, Mastung, and Turbat.
BNP leader Akhtar Mengal reacted, saying that the actions are “regrettable, shameful, and condemnable.” Baloch women and youth were going to attend the gathering in Gwadar. “The use of force to stop them and shed the blood of innocent youth is aimed at depriving the Baloch and oppressed nations of their right to protest.”
The Balochistan Bar Council condemned the obstacles to peaceful political protest, stating that holding rallies is a democratic right. They called for an end to hindrances to peaceful protests in compliance with the constitution and law.
Manzoor Pashteen, founder of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), described the firing incidents as “highly regrettable.”
State’s Position
The Director General of the Public Relations Department of the Pakistan Army (ISPR), Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, alleged that the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) is a “proxy for saboteurs.” He claimed that the “so-called leadership” of the BYC acts as a “proxy for terrorist organizations and criminal mafias,” and has been tasked with defaming agencies. “Their job is to gather groups based on external funding and narratives.”
On the floor of the Balochistan Assembly, the current government declared that the “Raaji Muchi” would not be allowed. Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti threatened during his speech on the Assembly floor that “the gathering in Gwadar would not be allowed and force would be used against the participants.” In his speech, Sarfaraz Bugti further said that from now on, no roads would be blocked and no one would be allowed to stage sit-ins anywhere in Balochistan. However, opposition members of the Balochistan Assembly responded to Mr. Bugti’s “arrogant” speech by saying that he should not act like a king; he is the Chief Minister and should remain as such.
Demands of the Gwadar Sit-in
On July 28, a public gathering was to be held at Piddi Zir in Gwadar. However, after the “brutal crackdown” by the Pakistani forces, the killings, and arrests of participants, the gathering was turned into a sit-in by the evening of July 28, with participants gathering at Piddi Zir in Gwadar. During this time, the Balochistan government sent Interior Minister Zia Langove to Gwadar, initiating a round of negotiations, with the Baloch Yakjehti Committee putting forward the following demands:
- FIRs should be registered against the Corps Commander for the martyrs and injured protesters due to FC firing in Mastung, Talaar, Gwadar, Nushki, and Turbat.
- The Home Department should issue a notification that no further violence will be used by state forces.
- The Chief Minister and his cabinet should acknowledge responsibility for the losses incurred and condemn the use of force.
- All arrested or forcibly disappeared protesters should be released, and all FIRs quashed.
- All routes should be opened, the curfew lifted, water restored in Gwadar, and internet services resumed.
- The government of Pakistan should notify that no participant or supporter of the “Raaji Muchi” will be harassed, and no unnecessary force will be used against peaceful programs in the future.
- The government of Balochistan will compensate for the financial losses caused to the general public during this “Raaji Muchi” by state forces and intelligence agencies, including the destruction of homes, burning of vehicles, or seizure of personal belongings.
Conclusion
The Pakistani military and government have repeatedly stated that if Baloch “pro-independence” armed groups abandon their demand for independence and armed struggle, and instead adopt peaceful means and come to the negotiating table, their concerns will be addressed.
However, Baloch “pro-independence” armed groups argue that the state has effectively blocked all avenues for peaceful political expression in Balochistan, with non-violent activists facing extrajudicial killings or enforced disappearances. These groups view the state’s policy of intolerance and violence as the primary justification for their continued armed struggle.
Recent actions by the Pakistani military and government—including escalated violence, arrests, propaganda, and enforced disappearances—against the peaceful political demands put forward by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) suggest a discrepancy between the state’s claims of encouraging peaceful struggle and its actual practices.
As a result, the claims and tactics of Baloch “pro-independence” armed groups are finding increased justification, and the state’s approach is pushing newly politically engaged Baloch youth, who initially sought peaceful avenues, toward despair and potentially toward armed resistance.
If the state continues its current course of violent reprisals against peaceful political activists, it is likely that we will witness a growing inclination among Baloch youth towards violent and armed political struggle, as they seek to negotiate with the state on more equal terms.