Demanding attention: Baloch students want TV blackout from Feb 1

Say media has failed to highlight the plight of the people and concentrates more on other areas of Pakistan.

QUETTA: A student organisation in Balochistan has threatened that it will suspend transmission of private television channels across the province to protest ‘failure to properly highlight the plight of the people’.

“Baloch people are being subjected to enforced disappearances and their bullet-riddled bodies are turning up daily. But media is not highlighting this crime against humanity,” Javed Baloch, general secretary of the Baloch Students Organisation (BSO-Mohyuddin), said at a news conference at the Quetta Press Club on Sunday.

He said that at a central committee meeting of the organisation, members had decided that transmission of all TV channels will be shut from February 1. “Transmission will be closed in Balochistan and Baloch-dominated areas of Karachi as well,” he said.

Baloch said that media airs worthless reports as breaking news for hours but completely ignores the province which is suffering very serious crises. “BSO condemns the silence and blackout of the media over recovery of mutilated and bullet-riddled bodies of Baloch missing persons and the target killing of political opponents.”

The student activist said that BSO will meet cable operators to persuade them to suspend transmission. “Policymakers are insensitive to the problems of Balochistan and we believe that this attitude will lead to dismemberment of Pakistan. The media should play its role and review its policy on Balochistan.”