Islamabad, 28 December, 2023 (GNP): The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), a leading organizer of the Baloch protest march in Islamabad, has alleged interference by local law enforcement, hampering their seminar arrangements in the capital city.
The committee claimed that the police, purportedly switching off their sound system, disrupted their preparatory efforts for an upcoming seminar outside the National Press Club.
Videos circulated by the BYC portrayed instances of police presence at the venue, with Dr Mahrang Baloch, another key figure behind the protest demanding an end to enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, seen urging a policeman to desist from interrupting their program.
Rights activist Sammi Deen Baloch shared a distressing video capturing speakers being physically removed while a concerned crowd looked on.
Saira, an organizer representing Khuzdar, expressed dismay over the attempted interruption, stating, “The police and administration are panicking.
BYC Islamabad’s Seminar was about to start but @ICT_Police interrupted and stopped our sound system (speakers.)#SpeakerChor #StopBalochGenocide pic.twitter.com/weB5XM919W
— Baloch Yakjehti Committee (Islamabad) (@BYCislamabad) December 28, 2023
Every household in Balochistan has suffered from the agony of missing loved ones. Our institutions make our family members vanish before our eyes.”
Highlighting the distressing trend, she lamented the transition from discovering mutilated bodies in the past to present-day occurrences of individuals being allegedly “killed in fake encounters.”
Also Read: Police crackdown on Baloch protesters in Islamabad sparks concerns
This incident follows the recent detention of numerous participants from the long march by the capital police. Although the police claimed the release of detainees in phases, the BYC asserts that several protesters remain in custody.
Commencing from Turbat on December 6, the march reached the federal capital on Dec 20, triggered by the alleged extrajudicial killing of a Baloch youth by Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) officials.
Amidst concerns over detainment and dispersal of demonstrators, human rights organizations, politicians, the Islamabad High Court (IHC), President Dr Arif Alvi, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar, and analysts strongly condemned the use of force by Islamabad police.
Recent developments reveal conflicting reports on the release status of detained Baloch protesters, with the Islamabad High Court being informed of 34 individuals still in police custody.
During a court hearing on a petition filed by Baloch protesters against unlawful detention, Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb emphasized equitable treatment and urged the police not to impede peaceful protests.
The Islamabad police, as of now, have not issued any statement addressing the accusations made by the Baloch protesters regarding alleged disruptions caused during their seminar preparations
