In Pak-occupied-Balochistan, Pakistan Army has detained a local man from Gadani, an industrial town in the region. The individual, identified as Wadera Sattar, son of Hassan, was abducted for providing food and water to Baloch women and children participating in a sit-in protest.

Sattar was taken into custody and subsequently moved to an undisclosed location. The incident has raised concerns among local residents and human rights advocates.

The detention occurs against the backdrop of a complex situation near Gadani, where dozens of travellers find themselves stranded. These individuals, who were en route to attend a rally in Gwadar, were denied entry by Pak security forces. Subsequently, they were also blocked from returning to Karachi, therefore are now stranded in the midst of desert and the ongoing Baloch Raaji Muchi protest.

Protestors said that their journey, which began in Karachi on July 27, was forcibly halted by Pak forces. As the occupying-authorities resorted to violence and damaged their vehicle tires to prevent them from reaching Gwadar.

The situation has escalated, with authorities imposing restrictions on food and water supplies to the protestors. Local businesses, including hotels and shops, have also been forced to close, further limiting resources available to the stranded group.

And now, Sattar, a local Gadani resident who was providing food to the protestors was also forcibly disappeared. Incidents like this are among the main reasons why the Baloch community is protesting against the Army. The Baloch gathering is a platform to protest against ongoing atrocities faced by the Baloch community under Pak military rule since 1948.

Pakistan Army have intensified their crackdown on protesters in Gwadar, with reports of gunfire and a de facto curfew imposed in the area. The situation escalated overnight as forces demanded the surrender of attackers involved in a recent rally incident.

During the Baloch Raaji Muchi rally on Monday, participants apprehended two armed individuals near the stage. The suspects were found with a 9mm pistol and multiple rounds of ammunition. In the video, the suspects confessed that they had been sent by Pakistan’s Military Intelligence (MI) to assassinate Dr. Mah Rang Baloch and other leaders of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee.

Following the detention of the attackers by rally participants, Pak security forces issued threats to the Baloch Yakjehti Committee leaders, demanding the immediate handover of the suspects.

The Baloch Yakjehti Committee had previously announced threats from Pakistan forces and local authorities against their leaders, including Dr. Mah Rang Baloch and Sammi Baloch. An audio recording from the Deputy Commissioner of Gwadar confirming these threats has also emerged.

Since the rally began, security forces have fired upon participants, resulting in multiple injuries and fatalities. Medical aid for the injured has been denied, and forces have erected barriers on all major highways in Balochistan, blocking access to Gwadar.

In response to the escalating violence, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee has called on international organizations and media to address the ongoing state violence in Pak-occupied-Balochistan and to report on the unfolding crisis.

In a unified response to recent Pak Army actions, the Pakistan Bar Council, Balochistan Bar Council, Balochistan High Court Bar Association, and local bars in Sibi, Kech, Turbat, and Quetta have announced a complete boycott of judicial proceedings across Pak-occupied-Balochistan. The move is in protest against the crackdown on the Balochistan National Committee’s Baloch Raaji Muchi rally.

The joint statement from these legal bodies strongly condemns the Army’s imposition of obstacles, the use of force against peaceful rally participants, and the associated violence, including shootings, deaths, injuries to political activists, and abuse of women and children. The statement underscores that organizing a peaceful rally is a fundamental right, and the Pak Army’s actions to suppress this right through violence and intimidation are unacceptable.

Judicial Boycott 

The boycott, which took effect on July 29, Monday, saw a complete halt in judicial proceedings in various courts, including the civil court, session court, and Balochistan High Court in Quetta. Courts in Sibi, Turbat, Gwadar, and Choki were also affected, resulting in significant difficulties for litigants due to the disruption of legal services.

Munir Kakr Advocate, a member of the Supreme Judicial Commission, condemned the firing on the peaceful Baloch Raaji Muchi convoy by security forces in Mastung. Kakr called for an immediate investigation into the incident by higher authorities, asserting that the ongoing genocide of the Baloch people and the suppression of their peaceful protests reflect a broader issue of injustice. He questioned why the Army fears the Raaji Muchi rally and reaffirmed that the Baloch nation’s quest for national identity cannot be deterred by force.

Prominent lawyer Muhammad Saleem Lashari Advocate also denounced the shooting of the Raaji Muchi convoy, emphasizing that the situation represents a critical issue of Baloch survival and urging an end to the violence.

Dr. Mahrang Baloch, a prominent leader of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, has condemned the Pak Army’s violent crackdown on peaceful protesters in Gwadar. In a statement issued today, Dr. Baloch revealed that over one thousand supporters of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) have been detained. She warned that if anything happens to her or any BYC member, the Pak establishment will be held accountable.

Addressing the Baloch Raaji Muchi rally at Marine Drive in Gwadar last night, Dr. Mahrang said, “Pakistan wants to scare us with its guns, conscience-selling soldiers, and death squads. But I am sure that Baloch mothers have given birth to children who will stand in front of bullets.”

The situation in Gwadar has escalated dramatically, with the Pakistan Army and Frontier Corps (FC) launching a new brutal attack on the peaceful Baloch National Gathering sit-in. The military has surrounded the sit-in from all sides, indiscriminately firing upon peaceful protesters and subjecting them to severe violence. This has resulted in numerous injuries and the arrest of hundreds of individuals.

Dr. Mahrang Baloch described the current conditions in Gwadar as apocalyptic, noting that the entire city is effectively held hostage by the military. She reported that efforts to evacuate the injured are being blocked, with ambulances denied passage.

“I urge you all to immediately contact human rights organizations, journalists, and anyone concerned with human rights,” Dr. Mahrang Baloch said. “Thousands of lives are at extreme risk in Gwadar.”

In her address at the Baloch Raaji Muchi rally, Dr. Baloch emphasized the need for unity among the Baloch nation, declaring, “Enough is enough. The Baloch are tired of your oppression and are standing firm against this genocide and the exploitation of their resources and seas.” She sent a resolute message to the oppressors, asserting that their time is over.

Front Line Defenders, a prominent human rights organization based in Ireland, has issued a strong call for the immediate release of detained Baloch activists and the safe treatment of injured protesters following a violent crackdown by Pakistan Army in Gwadar. The organization expressed grave concern over the recent actions taken by Pak authorities against peaceful demonstrators at a Baloch National Gathering.

Front Line Defenders said that Pak forces have detained several Baloch activists, including Sammi Deen Baloch, a well-known human rights worker, and moved them to undisclosed locations. The organization has raised alarms about the well-being of these detainees, fearing for their health and safety.

In response to these developments, Front Line Defenders has demanded the immediate release of all detained and missing Baloch activists from Gwadar and throughout Pak-occupied-Balochistan. The organization is also calling for assurances regarding their protection and the provision of medical aid and health facilities to dozens of injured protesters.

Front Line Defenders had previously honored Sammi Deen Baloch with the prestigious Front Line Defenders Award 2024 for the Asia and Pacific region earlier this year. The organization’s founder and UN special representative, Mary Lawlor, has also condemned the violent crackdown and the arrest of Baloch political activists.

Lawlor has called for their prompt release and urged Pakistan’s Geneva delegation to press the Pak Army to fulfill its human rights commitments to the United Nations. He emphasized the need for the Pak Army to ensure that the Baloch Yakjehti Committee’s right to peaceful protest is upheld and to secure the recovery of all detained and missing activists from Gwadar.