State Oppression, Not Balochi Poetry, Is Radicalising Baloch Youth: Sammi Baloch
SHAAL, BALOCHISTAN: A leader of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), Sammi Deen Baloch, has strongly criticised recent remarks made by Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti, urging the state to reassess its policies.
The criticism follows comments made by Bugti during a provincial assembly session, in which he alleged that Balochi poetry is being used to influence young people toward militant groups and contribute to their radicalisation.
His remarks have been widely condemned by Baloch political parties and civil society activists, who have criticised the statement as misleading and dismissive of the region’s underlying issues.
Responding to the statement, Sammi Deen Baloch said the remarks reflect a flawed understanding of the situation. She argued that, if such logic is followed, institutions promoting the Balochi language should be placed under strict government control and books confiscated, as literature encourages critical thinking among youth.
She further remarked that, by the same reasoning, libraries should be shut down to prevent young people from learning to distinguish between right and wrong. She added that educational institutions could also be targeted, as educated individuals are more likely to question state policies.
Baloch said such an approach would extend to restricting employment opportunities, limiting freedom of movement and even shutting down internet access, which, she noted, enables people to witness and understand state actions.
Highlighting broader concerns, she said that Pakistani authorities have been involved in enforced disappearances, with individuals detained for years and such incidents later denied.
She warned that these practices contradict the state’s claims of upholding human rights.
She added that policies of suppression, including restrictions, disappearances, and violence, have eroded public trust, while the root causes of unrest remain unaddressed.
Referring to recent incidents, she added that in the city of Panjgur, 22 young men were killed in alleged extrajudicial actions within a span of 20 days during the month of Ramadan, describing the situation in Balochistan as deeply troubling.
According to Sammi Deen Baloch, growing discontent among Baloch youth is not driven by literature or poetry, but by long-standing grievances, including state repression, restrictions, violence, enforced disappearances and the silencing of dissent.
Sammi Deen Baloch urged the ‘provincial government leadership’ to focus on improving conditions in Balochistan, stating that meaningful change requires addressing ground realities rather than imposing further restrictions on literature and expression.
“Books and literature are already banned in Balochistan,” she remarked.
