Baloch Trouble On Rise For Pakistan, Now Activists Stage Massive Protest Rally In Quetta

QUETTA: Days after the Baloch Yakhjetic Committee gave up its sit-in protest at Gwadar against alleged forced disappearances of Baloch people they continue their protest rallies across the province. On Monday, BYC organized a large public gathering in memory of the martyrs of Baloch National Gathering at Shahwani Stadium, Sariab Road, Quetta, which was attended by thousands of people.

The gathering began with the Baloch National Anthem, followed by a national oath administered by BYC organizer Mahrang Baloch. BYC leaders highlighted the struggles, state repression, and successes of the Baloch National Gathering. The BYC said that this gathering in Quetta was an important milestone for the Baloch national movement and will play an important role in Baloch national unity.

On the call of the Baloch Yakjetii Committee (BYC), a historic Jalsa was once again witnessed at Shahwani Stadium in Quetta.#BalochNationalGathering pic.twitter.com/fBWvHt41o7 — Sayad Hasil (@Sayad_hasill) August 12, 2024

"We have been saying since the beginning that this is a people's movement, its roots are rooted in the people, its strength is the people. But the state is in denial about this, sometimes it tries to end it by force and violence and sometimes it tries to create a false narrative by calling it external funds and external proxy. But this people's movement is proving at every step that it is the movement of the Baloch people, suppressing the people's voice with violence and false narrative is a crude illusion. The conscious people of Kech have proved today that the Baloch nation cannot be suppressed by force and violence," Mahrang Baloch said in her address.

Earlier on August 11, thousands of people, including women, participated in the meeting of the Baloch Yakhjeti Committee in Nushki. The participants took an oath to stand together against the oppression of the state. In the meeting, homage was paid to all the martyrs. 

"We have to maintain this national unity and unity in every step of our life. The biggest damage to our national strength is personal, family and Tribal fights have killed thousands of our people, thousands of our houses have been destroyed, and now it is time for us to get out of these mutual fights. These tribal fights do not happen naturally and neither do we People love to fight and die among themselves, but in the mutual problems of our house, there is the influence of outsiders, they take advantage of our small problems and differences and make us fight each other, this is the policy of the British era to make us fight each other. They can easily rule over us by dividing us and today they are doing this work comfortably we do not understand this policy, we are just killing our brothers with our own hands There is no fighting, and now is the time to end internecine wars," Mahrang Baloch said while addressing the gathering in Nushki.

The rallies follow the Baloch National Gathering that was held in Gwadar on July 28. Baloch activists had alleged that the Pakistan government had not allowed them to conduct the national rally and had fired at activists leading to several deaths. After several days of sit-in protests, the BYC agreed to leave Gwadar but said they would conduct rallies across the province to make their point heard.