Outside the National Press Club of Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, women, children, elderly and young people brave the harsh winter sitting with pictures of their loved ones held firmly in their hands. This sit-in is being led by Dr Mahrang Baloch, Sami Deen Baloch, Gulzar Dost and others. This is a protest sit-in against the ongoing forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Balochistan. Hundreds of families are present in this sit-in, calling on the state to return back their loved ones who have been forcibly disappeared. A protest sit-in was held in support of Balach Baloch who was murdered in an extra judicial killing in Turbat city of Balochistan. After Turbat protests that continued for thirteen days, the Baloch Yakjahti (Solidarity) Committee has announced that this protest will be a long march To Islamabad. After some days and interruptions when the long march reached Islamabad and started going to the National Press club the Islamabad police severely tortured women, children and the elderly.
Women, children and the elderly were forcibly put into police vehicles and taken to the police station. Hundreds of students, women and children who were waiting for the long march at the National Press Club were lathi-charged by the police and attacked with water cannons. Some participants sustained injuries. Women, children and the elderly were humiliated by the Islamabad Police. The younger sister of Rasheed Hussain (who remains missing) Baloch Mahzeb stated that an attempt was even made to pick up our clothes at the police station and that the police even humiliated them. Dr.
Mahrang Baloch, who led the Baloch Long March, was tortured by four women police officials. Police officials behaved with senior journalist Hamid Mir as he came to meet the protestors. The police forcibly evicted the participants. Women were not allowed to go to the press club to protest.
Manzoor Pashtun, the leader of the Pashtun Protection Movement, participated in the Chaman sit-in and announced that he would participate with the convoy in the sit-in to bring justice to the Baloch Baloch in Turbat. But when Manzoor Pashtun was taking a convoy from Chaman to Turbat with his friends in PTM, the state agencies stopped Manzoor Pashtun’s way and opened fire on Manzoor Pashtun’s vehicle. Manzoor Pashtun was safe in the firing but one woman was injured. The state agencies arrested PTM leader Manzoor Pashtun for the crime of seeking justice for Baloch Baloch and participating in the protest. He remains imprisoned in Adiala jain in
Islamabad.
The long march of the Baloch Solidarity Committee against enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings has transformed into a national movement.
The long march started from Turbat towards Quetta and was stopped at some places on the way by the state institutions but the people crossed all these obstacles and reached Quetta. In Quetta, the PTM joined the long march and
sit-in. The first demand by the protestors is that the officials who killed Balach should be arrested. State-sponsored debt scams should be disarmed. All missing persons should be recovered. A commission should be created in the UN to investigate the ongoing killings in Balochistan.
The long march of Baloch solidarity was welcomed by the people wherever they went, in Balochistan, Khyber PakhtunKhawa and including the Baloch areas of Punjab.
A protest meeting was also held in Kohlu. In DG Khan and Taunsa Sharif, thousands of people welcomed the solidarity committee and organized rallies. In DG Khan, the transport vehicles of protestors were seized at the behest of the state institutions as they were prohibited from traveling with the long march. PTM welcomed long march in DI Khan. PTM leader Manzoor Pashtun is in jail, but Manzoor Pashtun’s parents welcomed Mahrang Baloch and other long march participants. Former National Assembly member Ali Wazir too welcomed the protests. Waziristan too is burning in violence and oppression. Friends of PTM in Islamabad joined the long march and continue to participate in the sit-in. Even after the participants of the long march of the Baloch Solidarity Committee were subjected to severe violence by the state, they are still sitting in protests at the Islamabad National Press Club. These participants have a strong hopes that the state will release the missing persons but instead they are being intimidated. Journalists have been threatened by unknown persons. The loud speaker used in the protest sit-in was stolen during night time.Many media channels are spreading false news on through yellow journalism. TV channels are making false accusations against the Long March and the families of the Long March participants. Members of the Senate are not allowed to speak on the floor both in support of the long march and Manzoor Pashtun. Tahir Bizenjo protested against this in the Senate and held a press conference. The protest sit-in of the Baloch Solidarity Committee is no longer a sit-in by missing persons, but has transformed into the voice of all the oppressed people, especially the Baloch people. Subjugated nations are now uniting against tyranny. In my opinion, people will soon rid themselves of state-sponsored tyranny.