Balochistan: Protests Held Against Target Killings, Enforced Disappearances and Ongoing Genocide
QUETTA: Between February 25 and 27, 2025, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) organised a series of protests in various cities across Balochistan as part of its ongoing campaign against the target killings of Baloch intellectuals, enforced disappearances, and the ongoing Baloch genocide by Pakistani forces in Balochistan.
These protests highlighted the escalating violence and human rights violations carried out by the Pakistani state against the Baloch people.
On February 25 & 26, protest rallies were held in Karachi, Kalat, and Buleda Tehsil in Kech. In Karachi, authorities took extreme measures to suppress the protest, cordoning off the area surrounding the Press Club with heavy police forces and sealing it off with containers. Despite these efforts to sabotage the rally, the protesters, including women, children and elderly members of the Baloch community, peacefully demonstrated against the surge in target killings and forced disappearances.
In Buleda, the paramilitary forces (FC) attempted to intimidate the peaceful protesters, including threatening them with gunfire and sealing off the area where the rally was to be held. Similarly, in Kalat, the administration shut down the internet services as the protest began. Despite these hurdles, the Baloch people remained resolute, chanting slogans of resistance against the ongoing genocide and violence.
The victim families, whose loved ones have been forcibly disappeared, voiced their demands for the safe release of their relatives, fearing for their lives. The practice of fake encounters, in which already disappeared persons are killed and branded as terrorists by Pakistani authorities, has left these families deeply traumatised.
On February 27, protests continued in Hub Chowki, Mastung, and Panjgur. These protests were organised by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), condemning the state-sponsored death squads’ target killings, forced disappearances, and the killings of Baloch people in staged encounters.
In Hub, the protest took place in front of the Press Club in Lasbela, where protesters strongly condemned the Pakistani state’s intensification of its “kill and dump” policy.
In Mastung, the BYC organised a rally that passed through various streets and ended with a sit-in at Shaheed Sultan Chowk. Protesters called for an end to forced disappearances and the immediate recovery of the missing persons.
Similarly, in Panjgur, a rally at Javed Chowk saw the participation of a large number of citizens, including women and children, protesting against the target killings and enforced disappearances of Baloch youth.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) has also announced a series of upcoming protests against the target killing of minors Mehraj BalochandKarim Baloch, who were executed by state-backed death squads in Kech. The protests are a strong message against the continuous cycle of violence perpetrating the Baloch genocide.
In addition, the BYC organised rallies in Naseerabad, Pasni, and Quetta. The Quetta rally was attended by BYC’s central organiser, Dr. Mahrang Baloch, who addressed the crowd, emphasising the need for solidarity and support for the victim families.
She condemned the recent extrajudicial killings of five forcibly disappeared Baloch individuals, whose bullet-riddled bodies were found in various locations, further exposing the brutality of the state forces.
Dr. Baloch expressed that the Baloch people have faced continuous resistance against the genocidal actions of the Pakistani state and affirmed that the Baloch nation would never give up its struggle for justice and the right to self-determination. She called on all Baloch people to stand united against the oppression and ensure that the voices of the victims are heard globally.
The protests in various cities of Balochistan are a direct response to the escalating violence and the ongoing campaign of ethnic cleansing and genocide being carried out by Pakistani forces. The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) and other groups including families of the enforced disappeared persons continue to demand an end to the state’s violence, the recovery of forcibly disappeared persons, and justice for the victims of target killings and fake encounters.
These protests highlight the resilience of the Baloch people, who continue to resist state oppression and violence despite the constant threat to their lives. The Baloch nation remains committed to its struggle for justice, freedom, and democracy.
