The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), a women-led civil rights movement headed by Dr. Mahrang Baloch, a physician-turned-human-rights activist, has announced an awareness campaign and a public gathering to observe “Baloch Genocide Remembrance Day” on January 25 in Dalbandin, a town in the Chagai region of Balochistan, where Pakistan conducted its nuclear tests in 1998. However, the BYC is facing severe repression from Pakistan’s military and law enforcement agencies, which are attempting to derail the campaign and gathering. Leaders and activists of the movement have been falsely charged, while police have violently attacked and arrested members in an effort to suppress their cause.
Balochistan has endured a protracted political conflict with Pakistan’s central government since its forced annexation in 1948. Many within Balochistan understand the relationship between Balochistan and Pakistan not as conflictual but as colonial, with the latter treating the region as a site of securitized militarization and resource extraction. The region continues to suffer from systemic human rights violations, including widespread enforced disappearances, extrajudicial executions, staged encounters, the destruction of villages, and forced displacements. Thousands of individuals abducted by state security forces have later been found dead.
One of the most harrowing incidents occurred on January 25, 2014, when three mass graves were discovered in the Khuzdar district, containing the remains of over 126 individuals. Only two victims, Naseer Baloch and Qadir Bakhsh, were identified; both had been forcibly disappeared three months earlier from Awaran, a region pivotal to recent uprisings against exploitative state policies. To commemorate this atrocity, now referred to as “Baloch Genocide Day,” BYC has called for the public gathering in Dalbandin.
Dalbandin is a key location for multinational mining projects, including the Sino-Pak Saindak Copper-Gold Project and the Reko Diq mineral reserves, which Canadian company Barrick Gold is set to exploit. These projects symbolize the exploitation of Balochistan’s resources amidst the widespread oppression of its people.
The BYC has consistently campaigned against human rights violations in Balochistan, mobilizing communities to demand justice and accountability. Their activism has frequently been met with violent state suppression. In December 2023, a BYC rally in Islamabad, composed of women and children advocating for the disappeared, was violently dispersed with water cannons and police charges. Similarly, a planned gathering in Gwadar in August 2024, another focal point of Pakistan-China projects in the region, was met with brutal force, resulting in multiple casualties and injuries. In both cases, multiple arrests of key organisers and leaders were carried out.
The current wave of repression appears to be an attempt to block the Dalbandin gathering. The BYC remains committed to exposing human rights violations in Balochistan despite escalating state violence.
This report will document and update the ongoing crackdowns in real-time. The following is the latest fact sheet on recent developments.
Latest Updates:
January 18, 2025:
- Police Crackdown and Arrests: A violent police crackdown occurred in Lyari, Karachi, during a public awareness campaign organized by the BYC. The Sindh Police attacked and arrested several BYC members and leaders. Footage shared by BYC showed the police forcibly dragging Lala Wahab Baloch, the Deputy Organizer, along with Sammi Deen Baloch, Fauzia, and Amina Baloch. According to Dawn News, over 25 participants were detained. The police warned of strict legal action against those arrested.
The detainees included both male and female. While the female were released later that night, the male were charged under an FIR for chanting slogans against Pakistan. The FIR specifically named:
- Sarfraz, son of Raees
- Sajid, son of Yar Muhammad
- Murad, son of Suleman
- Waheed, son of Mahmood
- Ehsan Faraz, son of Zubair
- Amir, son of Khaliq
- Amanullah, son of Hidayatullah
- Ehsan Hameed, son of Hameedullah
- Zain Hussain, son of Fida Hussain
- Ahmed Nisar, son of Nisar
- Abdul Wahab, son of Abdul Ghafoor
- Aftab, son of Shokat
Following widespread condemnation from human rights organizations, including the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), the police eventually released the detainees.
January 17, 2025:
- Assassination Attempt: During a public rally organized by BYC in Hub City to raise awareness about human rights violations for the upcoming gathering, participants apprehended two suspects. The suspects were armed and posed an immediate threat to Sammi Baloch. A review of their phones revealed profiling activities, indicating coordination with state agencies. Despite BYC’s attempts to report the incident, the police did not offer assistance according to Sammi.
January 16, 2025:
- FIR Against Dr. Sabiha: An FIR was filed against Dr. Sabiha Baloch under Section 144 at the Kharan police station.
January 15, 2025:
- Imposition of Ban on Public Gatherings: The Balochistan government imposed a month-long ban on public gatherings under Section 144, with gatherings of more than five people subject to prosecution. The ban followed BYC’s announcement of its public mobilization campaign and the January 25 gathering, indicating a targeted crackdown.
- Order from Deputy Commissioner Chagai:
Deputy Commissioner Chagai, Atta ul Munim, issued an order (Notification No. 1/2025/EB/DC/CHI/1132-35) warning government employees against attending political gatherings. This followed the announcement of BYC’s peaceful gathering in Dalbandin.
- Communication Services Suspended: The government shut down network services in Naseerabad during Mahrang Baloch’s visit for a public rally.
- Warnings to Transporters: Transporters in Dalbandin were ordered not to operate their vehicles for a week.
January 14, 2025:
- Suspension of Communication Services: Mobile and internet services were shut down in Machh and surrounding areas of Bolan, disrupting BYC’s mobilization efforts for the January 25 gathering and causing significant public inconvenience.
January 12, 2025:
- Police Case Against BYC Leaders: After a Public rally in Mastung, an FIR (No. 4/25, E-tag No. CTY-1/12/2025-4) was filed against Dr. Mahrang Baloch, Beebow Baloch, Sabghat Ullah, Hafeez Baloch, and 40-50 unknown individuals, at the Mastung City Police Station.
International Reactions:
- Amnesty International: On January 19, 2025, Amnesty International released a statement condemning the police crackdown on Baloch protesters in Lyari. It highlighted the violation of the right to peaceful assembly, and called on Pakistan for immediate release of detainees.
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