The sit-in protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Turbat has entered its 10th day, with ten families rallying against the illegal abduction of their loved ones. Despite their prolonged demonstration, there has been no substantial response from the authorities.

Demonstrators are protesting against the Pak Army for escalating genocidal policies against the Baloch people, citing ongoing abductions and unlawful detentions. The families at the heart of this protest have endured over two months of hardship, demanding the release of their relatives who have been missing for extended periods.

Among those protesting is the family of Fateh Mayar, who was abducted by Pak security forces from Thaleemi Chowk, Turbat, on June 14, 2023. It has now been 14 months since his disappearance, and his whereabouts remain unknown. Fateh, a matric student, was also teaching at a local center to support his education.

Turbat Sit-In

His father, Nako Mayar, a shepherd, has exhausted all avenues with the administration and courts in search of his son. Nako Mayar, who previously participated in protests against the fake encounter of Balaach and the Baloch Long March to Islamabad, returned empty-handed, disillusioned by the unchanging Army policies. Now, he continues to protest at the sit-in in Turbat, where harsh weather is taking a toll on his health. Mayar became unconscious during the demonstration, overwhelmed by grief and frustration.

Another family involved in the protest is that of Muslim Arif, a 14-year-old who was abducted by Pak forces from Gilli Buleda on June 13, 2023. Muslim’s family, also participants in the Baloch Long March to Islamabad, is now part of the sit-in. Arif Baloch, Muslim’s father, recently became unconscious due to deteriorating health conditions.

The protest includes families of other abductees such as Jhanzaib Fazal, Jan Muhammad (abducted by FC in 2013), Nisar Kareem, Dr. Rafiq, Sameer Namatullah, Meeran Hussain, Muhammad Hayat, and Wali Muhammad. These families, united in their grief and demand for justice, continue their protest, highlighting the severe and ongoing issue of enforced disappearances in the region.

The Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) has launched a series of attacks on Pak military personnel in the Panjgur, Kokkoh, and Turbat regions. According to Major Gwahram Baloch, the spokesperson for the BLF, the freedom fighters targeted military outposts and convoys in four separate incidents, resulting in the deaths of six personnel and injuries to five others.

In a statement issued to the media, Major Baloch detailed the attacks. He reported that on the afternoon of the most recent incident, BLF fighters ambushed a convoy of four motorcycles belonging to the Pak Army in the Kolwah Rodkan area of Kech, killing one personnel on the spot and injuring another.

On the evening of July 20, at approximately 5 p.m., BLF snipers attacked a Pak military post in Kirk Dal Gachak, Panjgur, killing one soldier. A subsequent assault with modern automatic weapons killed another soldier and wounded one more.

Further attacks occurred on Sunday night. At 8:50 p.m., BLF fighters attacked a military outpost in Pul Abad, Turbat, with automatic weapons, killing one soldier and injuring two others. At 9 p.m, another outpost in Malant, Turbat, was targeted, resulting in the deaths of two soldiers and injuries to one.

Multiple Strikes on Pak Forces

Following these attacks, the Pak military reportedly launched retaliatory operations in the area, targeting the general population to obscure their losses.

The spokesperson emphasized that the BLF is a people’s army dedicated to achieving Pak-occupied-Balochistan’s independence with the support of its citizens. The BLF has successfully confronted the Pak military on multiple fronts and vows to continue its struggle until freedom is achieved.

Independence groups like the BLF have been engaged in a long-standing revolution against the Pakistan Army. Since 1948, the Pakistan Army has forcefully occupied the resource-rich region of Balochistan and, to exploit it indefinitely, has launched scathing attacks on the Baloch community. The BLF has declared its intention to carry out further intensified attacks against the Pak forces in the future, promising to exact retribution for every act of oppression against their nation.