Quetta: For the past 16 years, every Eid in Pakistan's Balochistan province has been marked by protests against enforced disappearances. However, this year’s Eid witnessed an even broader movement as demonstrations erupted across multiple cities, not only against enforced disappearances but also against the arrests of key leaders of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), including Dr. Mahrang Baloch, Sammi Baloch, Sibghatullah Shahji, and Beebagr Baloch.
On Eid day, BYC organized protests in several Baloch-majority towns across the province. Meanwhile, the Balochistan National Party (BNP) led a sit-in at Lak Pass, a key location near Quetta. Protesters demanded the immediate release of the detained activists, vowing to continue their demonstrations if their demands were not met.
BNP leader Sardar Akhtar Mengal addressed the sit-in participants, stating that they were not gathered for political gains but to uphold the dignity of their mothers and sisters. He emphasized that their struggle would be recorded in history and warned that if their demands were not met within two to three days, they would announce their next course of action.
In response to the protests, authorities blocked the Quetta-Karachi and Quetta-Taftan highways at Lak Pass, causing significant travel disruptions. Alternative routes were also barricaded, leaving travelers stranded and unable to reach their hometowns for Eid celebrations. Many cargo truck drivers, halted at the Lak Pass Tunnel, reported difficulties in accessing food and basic amenities.
Meanwhile, relatives of enforced disappearance victims continued their protest at the Quetta Press Club under the banner of the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP). Among the protesters, Hooran Baloch shared her personal ordeal, revealing that her family had suffered multiple enforced disappearances. She stated that last year, two of her relatives were taken, and this year, on March 8, her cousin Daud Smalani was forcibly disappeared from their home.
VBMP Vice Chairman Mama Qadeer Baloch lamented that, instead of celebrating Eid, affected families had been protesting for the past 16 years. He demanded that missing persons either be released or presented before courts if charges exist against them.
Government spokesperson Shahid Rind defended the highway blockades, stating that they were imposed for public safety due to the ongoing long march protests. However, these measures have drawn criticism for causing hardship to civilians and disrupting Eid festivities.
It should be noted that a suicide attack has also taken place during the ongoing protest over the past three days. According to the official social media account of the Balochistan National Party, suspicious armed individuals have been captured from within the protest area.
On the other hand, nationalist parties, including the Awami National Party and the National Democratic Movement, have also announced their full support and alliance with the Balochistan National Party’s protest and the Baloch Yakjehti Committee.
[Human Online, BBC]
