On April 29, widespread public mourning and peaceful protests were held across Balochistan in response to a call by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), denouncing the unconstitutional arrest of its leaders and over 200 members, their inhumane treatment in prison, and the ongoing state-led crackdown on the organization.
The BYC dedicated the day to their arrested leaders Dr. Mahrang Baloch, Beebow Baloch, Gulzadi Baloch, Bibarg Baloch, and Shah Ji Sibghatullah as well as to ongoing fake encounters, enforced disappearances, and human rights violations in Balochistan.
Protests were held in Nushki, Quetta, Khuzdar, Mastung, Panjgur, Turbat, Nal, Dalbandin, and even in Karachi. Hundreds of people came out in silent protest, expressing their resistance. A statement by the BYC declared: “We will gather on April 29, we will mourn, and through mourning, we will resist.”
According to the statement, the day of mourning was held in remembrance of the disappeared and silenced Baloch, to keep their memory alive, raise voices for justice, and continue peaceful resistance against state repression.
In Nushki, a large number of people joined the protest. Demonstrators stated that the mourning was not just about grief, but a symbol of collective memory and resistance, vowing not to remain silent in the face of oppression.
In Panjgur, the public expressed support for the BYC, calling it their voice against enforced disappearances, state violence, and decades-long military repression.
In Turbat, a silent protest was held in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office, where participants expressed solidarity with their arrested leaders, families of the disappeared, and all victims of state repression.
Mastung saw symbolic demonstrations at four significant locations Nawab Hotel, Girls High School, Sarawan Press Club, and Milad-un-Nabi Mosque each selected for its association with past violent incidents. Protesters stood in silence, remembering those incidents and reaffirming their resolve for resistance.
In Nal, a symbolic mourning was held in memory of the disappeared, where participants expressed their grief silently. In Khuzdar, demonstrators held placards listing names of the missing, declaring that the time for silence and forgetting was over.
In Quetta, families of the disappeared joined the protest with pictures and names of their loved ones. Mothers, sisters, and children sat in silence—yet their presence spoke volumes of resistance.
In Dalbandin, a symbolic protest was staged outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office, where participants formed mourning circles in memory of those disappeared and detained.
In Karachi, a dignified symbolic mourning was observed on the shores of Hawke’s Bay. People gathered by the sea, holding the names and photos of their missing loved ones, silently transforming their grief into resistance.
The BYC, in its message, reiterated that it is not just an organization, but the collective voice of the people one that cannot be silenced. The group affirmed that their struggle will continue until justice is served.
