Islamabad: Amid Heat, Isolation and Surveillance Baloch Families Hold their Ground
ISLAMABAD: For the 16th straight day, families of forcibly disappeared persons and detained leaders of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) continue their peaceful sit-in outside the National Press Club in Islamabad, demanding justice in the face of growing state pressure and silence.
The protest, led largely by women and children, calls for the immediate release of detained BYC leaders and an end to the practice of enforced disappearances in Balochistan.
Despite their nonviolent stance, the response from authorities has been marked by harsh repression.
The road to the National Press Club has been sealed off using buses, shipping containers, and barbed wire, effectively cutting the demonstrators off from public visibility. Access for the media and supporters has been severely restricted.
Protesters, including elderly women and young children, remain exposed to the extreme summer heat. No tents or shade structures have been allowed by the authorities, and several people have reportedly fainted from heat exhaustion. Still, the families refuse to back down.
In addition to physical hardships, protestors face relentless intimidation. Surveillance by intelligence personnel is now a daily occurrence, with plainclothes agents—many unaffiliated with any official media—frequently photographing, filming, and profiling male participants and students. Several women have reported being followed back to their residences and subjected to intrusive monitoring.
“The conditions are inhumane, and the intention is clearly to wear us down,” said one protester. “But we are here for our loved ones. We won’t leave until they are returned or accounted for.”
Despite the intimidation, the families remain unwavering in their call for justice and accountability. The sit-in has sparked growing concern from human rights observers, but widespread coverage and public engagement remain limited.
Today, organisers renewed their appeal to journalists, civil society organizations, students, lawyers, and ordinary citizens:
“Show up. Stand with them. Break the silence. Raise your voice.”
As the protest enters its third week, the demonstrators’ persistence continues to spotlight a deeply painful and unresolved issue—one that many say can no longer be ignored.
