Traffic chaos as capital crackdown sparks protests in Balochistan

Protest rallies and sit-ins persisted for a second consecutive day in the provincial capital of Quetta and various other towns and cities across Balochistan. These demonstrations were staged in response to the police’s use of force and the subsequent arrest of participants, including women and children, during the long march in Islamabad on Friday.

Highways connecting Balochistan to Karachi and other regions remained blocked, leading to the suspension of traffic between Quetta and Sindh. The residents of Quetta experienced a severe traffic jam due to the protest rallies and sit-ins in different parts of the city.

In Quetta, a big protest was staged, featuring participants from different political parties, members of the Baloch Yakjehti Council (BYC), students, members of civil society, and a significant number of women and children from the Sariab area. The rally, led by BYC and Haq Du Tehreek, marched through various roads and streets. Participants carried placards and banners inscribed with anti-government slogans.

Read Undeterred, Baloch women to hold sit-in

Upon reaching GPO and Unity Chowk, the protesters staged a sit-in for several hours, during which they vociferously denounced the forced disappearance of political workers, students, and human rights defenders. The sit-in resulted in a severe traffic jam on various crucial roads for an extended period. Despite the frigid weather, the marchers were resolute in continuing their sit-in, asserting that they would persist until all participants of the Turbat long march, arrested in Islamabad, were released. The protest endured into the late evening.

In Gwadar, a sizable rally was taken out, marching through the main roads of the port city in protest against police actions and the arrest of long march participants in Islamabad. The rally transformed into a demonstration at Mullah Fazil Chowk, where leaders such as Maulana Hidayat-Ur-Rehman Baloch, Chief of Haq Du Tehreek, and Chairman of HDT Hussain Wadila addressed the demonstrators.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 23^rd, 2023.