A peaceful protest held by the Baloch Yekjehti Committee (BYC) in Hub Chowki against the extrajudicial killing of Zeeshan Zaheer turned violent when police attempted to disperse the demonstrators, opening fire and arresting several participants.
According to BYC Lasbela Region, the protest was organized to denounce the extrajudicial killing of Zeeshan Zaheer. However, police forces accompanied by plainclothes personnel and local administration officials allegedly tried to forcibly break up the protest. During this crackdown, shots were fired, leading to reports of multiple injuries among the protesters.
Among those arrested were relatives of forcibly disappeared persons and other demonstrators, further fueling outrage.
The BYC has strongly condemned the incident, calling it a blatant act of state repression. The organization emphasized that the right to peaceful protest and public assembly is a constitutionally and internationally recognized human right, and any attempt to suppress it through force is unacceptable.
The Committee held SSP Hub Fazal Shah, Deputy Commissioner Nisar Ahmed Lango, and MPA Mir Ali Hassan directly responsible for facilitating state violence in the region, accusing them of enabling continued oppression in Hub.
BYC urged human rights organizations and the Baloch public to speak out against these inhumane actions and to focus immediate attention on the growing state repression in Hub.
In its closing statement, the BYC Lasbela Region reaffirmed its commitment to peaceful resistance, asserting that it would not be intimidated by such oppressive tactics and would continue its struggle for justice.
It is noteworthy that the killing of Zeeshan Zaheer has sparked widespread protests across Balochistan. Demonstrations have already taken place in districts such as Panjgur, Turbat, Kharan, and Noshki, while Chagai and surrounding areas observed a strike.
Just a day prior to the Hub incident, Sindh police raided a BYC protest in Karachi, arresting several participants.
The BYC stated that incidents of forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings of young Baloch men like Zeeshan Zaheer are on the rise. The Committee’s peaceful protests are being met with harsh crackdowns by the state.
The organization called on international human rights bodies to take notice of the ongoing state atrocities in Balochistan and to support the right of peaceful political activists to protest.
