Student organizations in Balochistan have warned of relocating their ongoing sit-in protest to the Balochistan Secretariat’s Red Zone if their demands for reopening Bolan Medical College (BMC) and its hostels are not addressed within three days.
In a press conference on Monday, the students said their peaceful sit-in has continued for 27 consecutive days in Quetta, despite harsh winter conditions. They accused the provincial government and college administration of ignoring their grievances.
“For over a month, Bolan Medical College has been forcibly closed, and its hostels have been occupied by police,” the students said. “Despite enduring severe cold weather, neither the provincial government nor the college administration has taken our concerns seriously or engaged with us.”
The students also accused authorities of using the closure of educational institutions, including Balochistan University and the Agriculture University in Baleli, as a pretext for increased militarization. “This systematic policy is leading to student profiling, harassment, and enforced disappearances,” they said.
The students listed their primary demands as the reopening of BMC and its hostels, an end to militarization policies, and the restoration of academic schedules. “These are constitutional and legal rights that have been repeatedly ignored,” they said.
“If our demands are not met within three days, we will relocate our sit-in protest to the Red Zone. The provincial government and college administration will bear full responsibility for any escalation.”
They also appealed to the public for support. “This is not just about Bolan Medical College. This is about safeguarding education in Balochistan and resisting the militarization of our institutions,” they said.
The students emphasized that their movement has remained peaceful. “For 27 days, we have protested in a lawful and democratic manner. We will continue to demand our rights through peaceful means,” they said.
Neither the provincial government nor the college administration has responded to the students’ demands or the three-day deadline as of the filing of this report.