Baloch Yekjehti Committee (BYC) has entered its 11th day in Islamabad. Protesters say that the Pakistani state continues to impose systemic repression and barriers against their peaceful demonstration.
The roads leading to the National Press Club remain blocked with buses, barricades, and barbed wire. Despite the intense summer heat, authorities have not allowed protesters to set up proper tents, resulting in elderly women and children frequently fainting due to harsh conditions.
Protesters claim that harassment has intensified in recent days. Intelligence operatives, in the presence of Islamabad police, are reportedly profiling male participants, recording videos without consent, loitering near the protest site, and even following families to their homes in an attempt to pressure them to abandon the protest.
Additionally, representatives from Borak Digital, an outlet protesters accuse of reinforcing state narratives, allegedly visited the protest site and attempted to misrepresent the demonstration through negative propaganda.
Despite these pressures, the families of the disappeared and the BYC have stated their commitment to continue the peaceful sit-in until their demands, particularly the safe recovery of all forcibly disappeared persons, are met.
