Dr. Mahrang Baloch, the organizer of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), has accused the Pakistani state of deliberately marginalizing the BYC and suppressing peaceful activism, a move she says forces young activists toward more desperate measures.
“If the youth are accused of being proxies for foreign hostile agencies, intimidated, arrested, or forced into hiding, what alternatives do they have to make their voices heard?” she asked.
Dr. Baloch was responding to recent allegations made by the Pakistani military’s Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR), who labeled the BYC as a “proxy for terrorist organizations and criminal mafias” during a press conference on Monday.
She challenged these claims, stating that the DG ISPR did not produce evidence to support his accusations. “If the BYC is a proxy for any hostile agencies or terror groups, where is the evidence? I challenge the DG ISPR to produce the evidence and take us to court if we are proxies for any terrorist outfits or working on behalf of hostile agencies.”
Highlighting the grievances of Gwadar’s residents, Dr. Baloch said that despite promises made since 2007, the people of Gwadar still lack basic amenities. “Gwadar was chosen for the Baloch National Gathering because promises made to its residents remain unfulfilled. In the decade since the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was launched, Gwadar still lacks a standard hospital and reliable electricity, relying on Iran for power. The project has only brought security checkpoints, with no real development.”
Dr. Baloch also addressed the Balochistan government’s claim that they would have facilitated the gathering if it had been held in another city. “Did you facilitate us when we went to Islamabad to protest last December? Did you facilitate us when we held a seminar on Gwadar fencing in Quetta in May, after which the Press Club’s sanctity was violated and its gates locked by police?” she asked.
She argued that since July 27, Gwadar has been disconnected from the rest of the country, with internet services shut down, yet the government blames the BYC for chaos. “Is it us who have shut down the internet for the last 11 days? Is it us who have blocked roads and opened live fire on peaceful protesters in Mastung and Gwadar?” Dr. Baloch questioned.
Dr. Baloch stated that the BYC’s demands are legitimate and have been acknowledged by Gwadar’s district administration. However, she pointed out that arrests of activists continue, drawing parallels to the 2006 military crackdown under General Pervez Musharraf. “A situation similar to 2006 is being created when General Pervez Musharraf’s military government claimed to be holding talks with Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, but at the same time, a military crackdown was being carried out.”
“On one hand, the Balochistan government claims to be holding dialogue with the BYC, but on the other, they are accusing us of being proxies for terror outfits. Under such circumstances, talks cannot be held,” she said.
Dr. Baloch warned that “a situation is being deliberately created to justify a crackdown on the BYC. But the rulers of this country must remember, the BYC has mass public support, and if any untoward action is taken, neither the Balochistan government nor Islamabad will be able to control Balochistan’s situation.”