On the first day of Eid-ul-Fitr, massive protests erupted across Balochistan as thousands of people — many of them women and children — poured into the streets demanding the release of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leaders and an end to enforced disappearances.
In response to a call issued by BYC, residents of both urban centres and rural areas staged demonstrations after Eid prayers. Protesters called for the immediate release of central organiser Dr Mahrang Baloch, along with detained leaders Sammi Deen Jan, Beebow Baloch, Sibghat Ullah Shah Ji, Bebarg Baloch, and Lala Wahab Baloch.
Mass Demonstrations Held in Dozens of Cities
Mass protests were recorded in Panjgur, Hub, Khuzdar, Kalat, Nushki, Kharan, Buleda, Turbat, Zamuran, Mand, Rakhshan, Dalbandin, Mastung, Mashkail, Chagai, Tump, Surab, Washuk, Dhadar, Jhao, Yakmach, and numerous other towns and cities.
Participants carried placards, banners, and portraits of the detained leaders while chanting slogans condemning Pakistani state repression. Protesters also demanded justice for those killed in previous BYC-led demonstrations, including activists reportedly shot dead by police in Quetta.
Speakers at the rallies condemned what they called a “fascist” crackdown on the BYC movement. They reiterated calls for the release of all detained leaders and accountability for acts of “state violence.”
“Gross human rights violations are ongoing in Balochistan. Arrests and abductions of those who raise their voices for justice are becoming the norm,” said one speaker at the Khuzdar protest.
Protesters argued that violence and killings would not suppress Baloch national resistance. “The rulers, unaware of Baloch history and psyche, cannot suppress the will of the people,” they said.
‘Balochistan Has Overcome Fear’
Demonstrators said that the scale and determination of the protests — held across the region despite crackdowns — showed that Balochistan had overcome fear.
“Today’s protest is a writing on the wall for the state. It has already suffered a moral defeat, and no amount of violence can crush public resistance,” a speaker in Nushki said..
Speakers emphasized that until enforced disappearances end and missing persons are recovered, protests would not stop.
“Unity is the only way forward. Balochistan hasn’t celebrated Eid joyfully in three decades. We must now preserve our national struggle,” said another speaker.
Local BYC organisers called the massive turnout a sign of the strength of peaceful political resistance.
They reiterated their demand for the immediate release of detained leaders and the registration of FIRs for those killed in Quetta.
“No movement led by the people can be crushed by state repression,” said a BYC representative. “Today, Balochistan has spoken with one voice.”
