The militarization of educational institutions in Pak-occupied-Balochistan is intensifying, with the latest imposition coming in the form of a mandatory lecture by Brigadier Naveed Abbasi of the Pakistan Army, scheduled for September 19 at Tump Degree College. Students are being coerced into attending this event, a disturbing trend where military figures are imposing their presence on campuses, turning places of learning into instruments of Army control.
Just days before this, female students at the University of Balochistan were being subjected to a shocking display of military overreach. Pak forces, under the guise of a drug search, stormed the girls’ hostel. They specifically singled out Baloch female students, subjecting them to profiling, asking intrusive personal questions, and recording videos of them without consent.
Earlier, Pak forces encircled Turbat University and launched a search operation in the women’s hostel, specifically targeting students in their pursuit of information on Mahil Baloch, a fidayeen fighter involved in the Baloch Liberation Army’s (BLA) Operation Herof. This operation resulted in significant casualties for the Pakistan Army, further escalating the military’s oppressive measures in educational institutions.
Pak Army Tightens Grip on Students
It is clear that the increased militarization and presence of Army forces in Baloch schools and universities are aimed at monitoring and curbing the rise of nationalist sentiments among the youth.
Educational institutions, such as universities and colleges, are meant to be spaces for intellectual growth and knowledge acquisition, not venues for military propaganda or intimidation. It is disgraceful that the management of Tump Degree College, instead of preventing such military interference, is acting as facilitators, allowing Brigadier Naveed Abbasi to address students. This move further cements the Army’s encroachment into academic spaces.
However, no matter how many lectures the Pak Army forces to intimidate or brainwash young minds, the harsh reality remains inescapable. The daily abductions, killings, and the systematic stripping of basic human rights faced by the Baloch people cannot be overshadowed by a mere two-hour lecture.