Balochistan: Peaceful students protesters arrested, tortured and released

QUETTA: Pakistani police on Wednesday baton-charged and misbehaved with the peaceful student protesters in Quetta – the capital of Balochistan – for demanding restoration of the internet for the continuation of their online classes.

Since the Higher Education Commission’s decision to start online classes, students from Balochistan have been demanding that the government must first restore the internet in many far-flung areas of Balochistan.

The internet has been blocked by the Pakistani government in most districts of Balochistan for unknown reasons and online classes are not possible without the internet.

The students have been peacefully campaigning for their right to education, restoration of internet and for a suitable environment to continue their classes.  

 The students of Balochistan have given to the government the option of either restoring internet in those districts which were shut down before or at least reopen hostels of educational institutions so that the students can take advantage of the internet and participate in online classes and examinations.

However, the lack of attention from government, courts and the HEC (Higher Education Commission) has forced students to take to streets to record their peaceful protests.

The Students’ Alliance has organised peaceful sit-in protests in Islamabad, Quetta and many other cities against the decision of HEC’s decision to start Online Classes in Balochistan without internet.

They have also submitted a legal petition at Balochistan High Court for cancelling online classes until the internet is fully restored and students are provided with a suitable educational environment.

 On Wednesday, when students held a peaceful rally and wanted to march toward the Balochistan High Court, the Quetta police forcibly stopped them and arrested several male and female students.

Many students have reported that police misbehaved with them, beaten them up and hurled racial insults at them solely for being Baloch.

One of the student leaders also a vocal human rights activist, Dr Mahrang Baloch, said that their protest was peaceful and Pakistan’s constitution allows such protests.

In a live video on social media, she said, “The SHO of police have tried to silence us by racial insults and said that all Baloch are trouble makers.  This shows that they have already created a label for us [Baloch] that we are all trouble makers. Then arrest the entire Balochistan.  

“SHO Muddasir has stopped our protest saying that they [police] need permission from higher command and High ups? Who are these high ups, that do not allow peaceful protests?”

She further maintained that students in Punjab are sitting on their exams but in Balochistan, even the attendance of students is less than one percent (1%).

She said, “When we were arrested and asked for our names, we gave them our names and they [police] said these are [you’re] fake people. What do you mean by fake? This is my land; I’m the owner of this land. Yet you have the audacity of calling me fake?”

She added that the police wear a uniform and they think it gives them the right by default to misbehave with women and remove their scarves from their heads, drag them on roads and disrespect them.

She said that students have been protesting for more than a month, nobody including the ‘nationalist political parties’ has raised voice for them but now that students are arrested they are ‘begging’ the students to leave the police station.

If they [political] parties really care about the students and Baloch females they must demand the arrest of all those police officers who arrested, tortured and misbehaved with students.

She reiterated that the peaceful protests of Balochistan’s students will continue until the restoration of internet or cancellation of online classes.

The students were later release due to heavy criticism of the provincial government from different quarters and the Amnesty International South Asia section.

The Chief Minister of Balochistan, Mr Jam Kamal, said that police was not authorised to arrest the students that’s why the SP has been suspended and efforts were underway to identify other police personnel who acted violently against students.

Meanwhile, the students’ peaceful protests continue in Karachi and different other cities of Balochistan on Thursday as well to condemn the police action against students in Quetta on Wednesday and to support their demands for restoration of the internet in Balochistan.