Lahore: Baloch students, who were peacefully protesting in Lahore against the tyranny of military rule in Balochistan, were attacked by the Pakistani forces, The Balochistan Post reported.
Sharing the footage of the attack on their official Twitter account on Saturday, The Balochistan Post said, “Pakistani forces baton-charged peaceful Baloch student protesters in Lahore.”
The cases of physical intimidation and enforced disappearances of the local Baloch population have significantly increased even as the offensive against the Baloch liberation force rages on, International Forum for Rights and Security (IFFRAS) Reported.
Earlier in January, London, Baloch Republican Party UK staged a protest against the alleged brutality of Pakistani forces and army in Balochistan’s Gwadar.
Taking to Twitter, Baloch Republican Party UK Zone posted, “BRP UK held a protest in London against the brutality of Pakistani forces and army in #Gwadar, we are showing solidarity with our brothers and sisters in #Balochistan #gwadarundersiege #GwadarProtests #GwadarisNotAlone.”
Pakistani forces’ brutalities are not the only issue, the forceful abduction had also become a problem for the residents of Balochistan.
Recently, the case of Siraj Noor and Mohammad Arif, who were kidnapped by the Pakistani military while on holiday in their hometown, triggered a protest in Pakistan.
Local residents took to the streets in Balochistan’s Khuzdar district on Sunday and blocked the main highway in the region after the forceful abduction of two students by the Pakistani forces, Pakistan vernacular media reported.
Due to the highway’s closure, there was a long line of stranded cars, inconveniencing commuters, The Balochistan Post reported.
Siraj Noor, one of the missing, is a 6-semester law student at Sargodha University, while Muhammad Arif earned his MA from Balochistan University in 2022, The Balochistan Post reported, adding that while different schools of thought condemn the youth’s forced disappearance, the authorities have not yet stated their position on the matter.
Time and again, Balochistan National Party leader Akhtar Mengal had accused the Pakistan security forces of carrying out fake encounters and enforcing the disappearance of Baloch locals, according to local vernacular media.
Cases of fake encounters and disappearances grew three-fold during Imran Khan’s tenure as prime minister. This is despite the fact that the Baloch National (Menghal) Party was in coalition with Imran’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
Collectively, these incidents have resulted in thousands disappearing in the Baloch province. IFFRAS reported, citing Voice for Baloch Missing Persons, an organisation that looks into missing persons, that more than five thousand people are still missing. The missing include students, activists, women and children, it said.