ISLAMABAD: The Baloch protesters have called for a shutterdown strike across the country today (Wednesday), saying that state officials were trying to label the Baloch long march and sit-in in Islamabad as “propaganda”, Dawn.com reported.

“The state has consistently shown a half-hearted and uncommitted concern regarding our demands from the beginning,” the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), organiser of the protest demanding an end to enforced disappearances and extra-judicial killings in Balochistan, said in a social media post.

“Hence, on Jan 3, we are calling for a shutterdown demonstration across Pakistan. We urge people from all walks of life to advocate and respect our call for the shutterdown strike in the name of humanity and the Baloch nation, aiming to preserve our identity,” it added.

Baloch protesters, who have been camping outside the National Press Club for over a week now, had on December 28 given the government a seven-day deadline to fulfil their demands which included the release of all protesters detained during police action, detailed investigation into rights violations in Balochistan, elimination of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, release of all victims of enforced disappearances, restrictions on the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and elimination of “state-sponsored death squads”.

In a video message shared on social media on Tuesday, Dr Mahrang Baloch, one of the protest organisers, said the protest march had begun after a Baloch youth was allegedly killed in custody by the CTD.

“Our movement is against the decade-long enforced disappearances and murders of innocent citizens in Balochistan,” she said, adding that all the residents of the province supported the protest.

Dr Mahrang alleged that the Islamabad police had used force to “sabotage” the long march and numerous “fake” first information reports (FIRs) had been registered against protesters across the country.

She further alleged that over 20 Baloch youths had been forcibly disappeared “once again”.

Dr Mahrang demanded that all the Baloch people languishing in “illegal custody” should be presented before courts and given a right to a fair trial.

Further, she urged the nation to support the Baloch people and their call for the shutterdown strike.

The development came after caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar took exception to the support lent to protesters and said those supporting the demonstration could go join the Baloch militants. Mr Kakar had also insisted that those protesting in Islamabad were the “relatives of those fighting against the state” in Balochistan.

“From the inception of our movement, our demands have been clear: an end to all forms of human rights violations in Balochistan […]. We’ve presented these demands to the state through the media,” said Dr Mahrang.

She noted that the protesters sought to seek negotiations with the state regarding these demands.

“Sadly, the world witnesses the continuous irresponsibility and stubbornness of the state, where peaceful protesters endure torture and arrests, and media trials are being conducted against this peaceful movement,” she stated.

Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2024