Quetta : The National Democratic Party (NDP) has condemned the Balochistan government’s decision to add the names of several political and social activists including the party’s central organizer, Advocate Shahzaib Baloch to the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act, calling the move “unconstitutional, apolitical and reflective of an authoritarian mindset.”
Responding to a provincial notification issued on October 28, the party’s central spokesperson said the government has undermined democratic politics in Balochistan by placing the names of 64 individuals on the Fourth Schedule under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.
The statement accused the authorities of deliberately grouping political activists with criminal elements in order to discredit the Baloch political struggle and damage the credibility of popular leadership at the public level.
According to the NDP spokesperson, the measure signals that democratic and popular forces in Balochistan have grown powerful enough to concern the state. “Whenever a popular narrative strengthens,” the statement said, “the government resorts to legal instruments such as the Fourth Schedule and anti-terror laws to criminalize political thought.”
The party reiterated that since its founding it has pursued a peaceful, democratic struggle in Balochistan against enforced disappearances, human rights violations, extra-judicial killings and the plundering of resources. The NDP warned that such actions will further widen the gap between the people and the state.
Describing the notification as baseless and politically motivated revenge, the party vowed to resist the move on all political, democratic and legal fronts.
The NDP concluded by saying it will continue to defend the democratic rights, political freedoms and freedom of expression of the people of Balochistan and that political consciousness cannot be silenced by such low tactics.
