BYC plans Quetta to Islamabad march

The Baloch Yekjehti Committee (BYC) has declared a long march from Quetta to Islamabad in protest against the alleged extra-judicial killing of Balach Baloch. The sit-in, ongoing for the third consecutive day in Quetta’s Sariab Road area, aims to voice resentment until concrete action is taken against those implicated in the killing. Mah Rang Baloch, one of the BYC leaders, stated in a press conference that the march to Islamabad would be the next phase of their protest.

The protesters, who arrived in Quetta from Turbat, accuse the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of unjustly branding Balach Baloch a terrorist and carrying out his cold-blooded killing. The CTD vehemently denies these allegations, asserting that the incident resulted from an armed clash between miscreants and security forces in the Pasni road area of Turbat.

The BYC has not specified the exact timing of the long march but affirms that the protest will persist. This announcement follows the Balochistan High Court’s order to suspend four CTD personnel in Turbat connected to Balach Baloch’s extra-judicial killing.

The court also mandated the registration of an FIR against the implicated personnel, providing relief to the deceased’s family, as mentioned by Jan Achakzai, the Balochistan caretaker information minister. However, he expressed concerns about anti-state elements exploiting the sit-in and using women for their nefarious purposes.

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Earlier, a local court in Kech district directed the police to register an FIR against CTD officials concerning the alleged extra-judicial killing. The District and Sessions Judge ordered action based on an application submitted by the deceased’s heirs.

Along with Balach’s dead body, a large number of men, women and children took out a protest rally from Shaheed Fida Chowk to Session Court on Saturday morning and staged a sit-in outside the court.

The protesters demanded from the court that a case of the murder of Balach be registered against the CTD officials. Haq Du Tehreek chief Maulana Hidayat Rehman, BNP Acting Chief Sajid Tareen Advocate and others attended the sit-in and expressed solidarity with the protesters.

The lack of an FIR and no response from CTD and Turbat police have left the situation unresolved. Former CM of Balochistan, Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, has also called for an investigation into Balach Baloch’s killing, highlighting the urgency and gravity of the situation.

The FIR was not lodged till the filing of this report. And there was no word from the CTD and the police in Turbat regarding the court’s order.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 14^th, 2023.