Quetta, Balochistan – Tensions have risen again in Balochistan after Pakistani forces demolished bookstalls organized by the Baloch Students Action Committee (BSAC). The move has sparked outrage among students and activists, who accuse the government of deliberately stifling intellectual growth and dissent in the region.
BSAC members claim that while their bookstalls were targeted, similar displays by other groups were allowed to continue, highlighting a discriminatory approach.”This is not about books; it is about Pakistan’s systematic attempt to suppress Baloch students, deprive them of reading, writing, and critical thinking, and ultimately erase their intellectual and political consciousness,” stated Dr. Naseem Baloch, Chairman of the Baloch National Movement (BNM).
Baloch activists argue that this incident is part of a larger pattern of repression, including enforced disappearances, campus crackdowns, and attacks on academics, aimed at silencing Baloch voices and quashing any resistance to the government’s policies.
“We do not condemn this act,” Dr. Baloch added, “because condemnation assumes that we expect fair treatment. The Baloch nation does not expect justice from Pakistan. We have learned from history that a colonial state will always act as an oppressor, using every means to keep the colonized in ignorance.
“Despite these challenges, Baloch students remain resolute in their pursuit of education and their fight for greater autonomy. The incident has further fueled their determination to resist what they perceive as systemic oppression and to continue their struggle for intellectual and political freedom.
