Gwadar Protest Enters the Eighth Day, Situation Remains Tense

QUETTA: The ongoing protests in Gwadar, led by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), have entered their eighth day, with tensions running high due to a curfew and communication blackout imposed by the Pakistani government.

The protests, initially sparked by a state forces crackdown on peaceful demonstrations, have drawn attention to severe shortages of food, medicine, and water in the region. Dr Mahrang Baloch has called for international intervention, emphasizing the government’s use of force and threats against protest leaders.

Meanwhile, in Nushki, protesters are demanding action against officials responsible for violence during rallies.

Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti has defended using force, claiming that the protests aimed to disrupt state events. Despite escalating tensions, the BYC and its supporters remain steadfast in their cause.

Dr. Mahrang Baloch’s Appeal

“I, along with thousands of others, am still in Gwadar, where the internet is shut down, roads are blocked, and the city is isolated under complete media censorship. The controlled media continuously portrays us as violent and unwilling to negotiate. From day one, we have remained peaceful despite the state’s brutal crackdown. Our national gathering on July 28 was turned into a sit-in due to the state’s actions, including blocking roads, shutting down the internet, arresting peaceful protesters, and firing live ammunition at them.”

Dr. Mahrang Baloch made this statement as the BYC’s sit-in in Gwadar entered its eighth day, with thousands of participants. She called for FIRs to be filed against forces that used violence in Mastung, Gwadar, Nushki, Turbat, Talar, and other parts of Balochistan, where peaceful protesters were killed and injured. She also demanded the release of all those arrested before, during, and after the Baloch National Gathering.

In her statement, Dr Mahrang Baloch outlined the protesters’ demands:

1. FIRs should be registered against the Corps Commander for the firing incidents in Mastung, Talar, Gwadar, Nushki, and Turbat, where protesters were killed and injured by Frontier Corps (FC) personnel.
2. The Home Department should immediately notify that no further use of force or violence by the state military will occur.
3. The Chief Minister and his cabinet should come to Gwadar and acknowledge in a press conference that the government of Balochistan is responsible for the damages caused during this entire period. They should admit that they attempted to crush this peaceful public program with violence and passed the order for the use of force. The government of Balochistan should condemn the loss of life and property.
4. All participants of the Baloch National Gathering who have been arrested or forcibly disappeared from peaceful gatherings and their homes should be immediately released, and all FIRs should be quashed.
5. All roads should be reopened, the undeclared curfew in Makran, including Gwadar, should be immediately lifted, the water supply in Gwadar should be restored, and internet services should be reinstated across the region.
6. The Government of Pakistan should ensure that no participant or supporter of the Baloch National Gathering will be harassed, no further FIRs will be filed, and no unnecessary force will be used in any future peaceful protests.
7. The government of Balochistan should compensate the public for the financial damages caused by state military and intelligence agencies during the Baloch National Gathering, including breaking into homes, burning vehicles, and confiscating personal belongings.

Dr. Mahrang emphasized that instead of meeting their demands, the state is escalating the situation, putting BYC leadership at great risk, and using government machinery to legitimize a crackdown on the movement.

Death Threats to BYC Leadership

Pakistani authorities have reportedly threatened leaders of the BYC with death if they do not end their sit-in protest in Gwadar.

A government delegation allegedly warned BYC leaders, including Dr. Mahrang Baloch and Sammi Deen Baloch, that they would be shot if the protest continued.

These threats were reportedly issued by an officer from Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), stationed at the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Gwadar, tasked with sabotaging the gathering and ongoing sit-in.

Sarfaraz Bugti Justifies the Use of Force Against Protesters

The Chief Minister of Balochistan, Sarfaraz Bugti, has defended the use of force against the BYC’s sit-in protest in Gwadar, calling it necessary to clear deterrence aimed at disrupting an international delegation’s visit.

In interviews with Pakistani media, Bugti maintained that the protest was intended to obstruct the visit of an international delegation for the inauguration of Gwadar Airport.

He said that the government would proceed with the airport inauguration and welcome the delegation as planned, emphasising that no group would be allowed to disrupt state events or hinder development projects in Gwadar.

The provincial government has repeatedly accused the BYC of attempting to disrupt the visit of a Chinese delegation, which the BYC denies, stating their protest was to highlight issues concerning Human Rights violations in Gwadar and Balochistan.

BYC clarified that it was a planned one-day event that turned into a sit-in vigil due to government crackdowns on Baloch people who wanted to join the 28 July ‘Baloch National Gathering’. The government actions also triggered widespread protests across Balochistan and in Karachi.

Nushki: Protesters Demand Action Against Killing of Baloch Youth

Protesters in Nushki have demanded action, including filing a case against officers involved in firing on a Baloch Solidarity Committee rally, which led to the killing of a youth and the wounding of several others.

The organization has been staging a sit-in on the RCD highway for the past 24 hours.

Deputy Commissioner Nushki Amjad Hussain Soomro held talks with the protesters, who demanded the immediate release of arrested Baloch Solidarity Committee members across Balochistan, the filing of FIRs against FC officials involved in the Nushki incident, withdrawal of FIRs against BYC members, and the suspension of SHO Nushki.

The deputy commissioner has requested time to consult higher authorities regarding the demands. MPA Haji Mir Ghulam Dastgir Badini and other political leaders were also present.

On 2nd of August 2024, a protest was held under the auspices of the Baloch Solidarity Committee against the use of force and arrests during the Baloch Raji Machi across Balochistan, including Gwadar, the Pakistani forces surrounded them and fired directly at the protesters, injuring two and killing a young man named Hamdan Baloch.

The Nushki protesters have stated that if their demands are not met, the protest will continue.