London [UK], July 31 (ANI): Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir activist Amjad Ayub Mirza has condemned the ongoing repression of peaceful Baloch demonstrators, students, and women by the Pakistani state, while also emphasising the increasing silence and complicity of Punjab’s political leaders.
In a video statement, Mirza harshly criticised the lack of any human rights advocates, parliament members, or senators from Punjab participating in the ongoing protests led by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), which has now been ongoing for three weeks in Islamabad.
“They urge the Baloch people to protest peacefully and to hold seminars, yet even these peaceful attempts are met with force,” Mirza noted, referring to the recent police action against the Baloch Women’s Forum conference in Gwadar, which was impeded despite its non-violent and discussion-orientated nature. “The event’s organisers, whom I regard as the daughters of our nation, were taken into custody and shifted from the Gwadar police station to the Turbat police station, where they are now facing threats.”
Mirza also highlighted the remarks of Ayesha Baloch, a prominent spokesperson at the protest in Islamabad, who characterised the actions of the state as “terrorism” when asked for her definition of it.
The activist shared alarming information about a recent police operation at Quaid-e-Azam University in Islamabad, revealing that over 29 Baloch students have been detained and FIRs filed, with at least 43 others unaccounted for and potentially subjected to enforced disappearances. Citing journalist Asad Toor, who reportedly gathered this information, Mirza asserted that students are being “targeted based on generational factors” and wrongfully investigated for alleged connections to the Baloch Liberation Army.
He described the police presence around the Islamabad police stations as resembling a “curfew-like environment,” where journalists and civilians are denied entry, and protesters are being profiled and harassed. “Law enforcement officials are taking videos of the students’ faces inside the police stations to instill fear,” he remarked.
Mirza also condemned the Islamabad police’s abrupt implementation of ID checks for those wishing to join the protest, explaining that after 12 days of rallies, authorities randomly started requiring computerised national identity cards (CNICs) from participants. “Now they assert this rule is effective starting today,” he added.
Mirza stated that the ultimate goal of the Pakistani state is to eliminate all possibilities for the education and empowerment of Balochistan’s youth. “They want Baloch children to forsake education, to be forced into labour, washing dishes in restaurants, working in coal mines, or driving taxis in the Middle East,” he said.
He contrasted the disparity in opportunities between Punjab and Balochistan, accusing the authorities of maintaining a “colonial mentality” that cannot accept an educated Baloch population. “How can they permit the children of Balochistan to compete with the affluent youth of Punjab?” he questioned rhetorically.
Mirza also accused right-wing groups like Jamaat-e-Islami of facilitating the state’s oppressive agenda against Baloch students in universities located in Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad, and Islamabad.
“As of now, there is no information regarding their release,” Mirza concluded his message, pledging to keep the public informed as new updates emerge. (ANI)
Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed of ANI; only the image & headline may have been reworked by News Services Division of World News Network Inc Ltd and Palghar News and Pune News and World News
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