Islamabad police clashed with protestors participating in the ‘March Against Baloch Genocide’ on Wednesday and prevented them from visiting the camp of missing persons. In an unprecedented display of solidarity, thousands reached the capital city of Pakistan on Wednesday to support the ongoing march against the ethnic minority.
Baloch women, leading the march from the city of Turbat, towards Islamabad, faced arrests and injuries as they protested against human rights abuses and forced disappearances. The march, which began on December 6, aims to address the ‘Baloch Genocide,’ custodial killings of missing persons, and widespread enforced disappearances in Balochistan.
Baloch activist Dr Mahrang Baloch condemned the police actions, saying, “Right now, we are being treated worse than animals. Will the world raise its voice for us against this barbarism?” The sit-in, currently marking its 25th day, involves families of missing Baloch persons and is part of a broader movement to bring the issue of enforced disappearances in violence-marred Balochistan province into the international spotlight.
HRCP strongly condemns the state’s use of excessive force against peaceful protestors in Dera Ghazi Khan, where members of the #longmarch from #Turbat to Islamabad were baton-charged by the police, many of their leaders as well as local activists arrested and their camp…— Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (@HRCP87) December 18, 2023
In a statement issued earlier on Monday, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) condemned the use of excessive force against protestors in Dera Ghazi Khan and urged the authorities that those arrested must be released unconditionally.
“HRCP strongly condemns the state’s use of excessive force against peaceful protestors in Dera Ghazi Khan, where members of the #longmarch from #Turbat to Islamabad were baton-charged by the police, many of their leaders as well as local activists arrested and their camp demolished,” HRCP wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“The long march has been organized in protest against extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in Balochistan, with protestors demanding that the state protect Baloch citizens’ right to life, liberty and due process as much as that of any other citizen. In responding with force, the state has once again violated the protestors’ constitutionally guaranteed right to freedom of peaceful assembly,” it added.
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