On the call of Baloch Yakjetti Committee (BYC), a complete shutdown protest was observed on November 28 in Turbat.
As per the directions, all the entry and exit routes of the Turbat city had been blocked and traffic had been completely suspended by burning tyres on the roads by the protestors.
The Baloch Yakjetti Committee (BYC) has called for a shutdown in entire Makuran and a wheel jam strike in Turbat today to protest against the killing of Balach Maula Bakhsh by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and not registering an FIR despite the court orders.
Reportedly, a large number of youngsters burnt tires early in the morning at the city’s Cinema Square, while the main highway in Jusk and D-Baloch areas were blocked and barricades were erected at the entrance of the city and tyres were burnt. The effect of shuttdown protest was also seen in the port city of Gwadar.
CTD tries to portray it as terrorist encounter
Notably, Balach Baloch, along with other three Baloch youth, was killed by the CTD on November 23. The CTD, however, tried to portray the killing as a defensive act and termed it a terrorist encounter. Later, the family of deceased clarified that he was already in the custody of CTD, it is only them who have orchestrated this entire extra-judicial killing.
Since then, the family of all the killed Baloch youth, along with hundreds of other Baloch, have been sitting in a protest in Turbat. Couple of days ago, a local court in Balochistan’s Kech district ordered an FIR against involved CTD officials and investigation into the matter. However, considering the law and order situation in Pakistan occupied Balochistan, it is less likely that this move would meet its goal and serve justice to the innocent boys, because the so-called Counter Terrorism Department and Pakistan Army enjoy absolute impunity and forcibly disappear the Baloch people without any legal process. In such an anarchy, where only power, coercion and persecution is a tool of governance, a conception of justice is just a myth and utopia.