Hundreds of Baloch students took to the streets in Quetta this week, protesting the violent crackdown by Quetta police on Bolan Medical College (BMC) hostels that left dozens injured and led to the arrest of over a hundred students. Angered by the aggressive raid, the students rallied outside the college gates, demanding the release of their peers who were detained during the incident.
The protests erupted following Wednesday’s police raid, where officers reportedly stormed the BMC hostel, forcibly entering students’ rooms, dragging them out, and indiscriminately baton-charging those who resisted. The police crackdown, which escalated into a violent confrontation, led to injuries among several students, including females, as well as the arrest of many others, sparking widespread outrage among the Baloch student community.
Students gathered at the BMC gates, holding a peaceful sit-in and calling for the release of their detained colleagues, only to face a second wave of violence as police once again used tear gas and baton charges to disperse the crowd. Despite the peaceful nature of the protest, authorities intensified their actions, resulting in injuries and renewed clashes as students resisted police efforts to suppress their demonstration.
Brutal Force on Baloch Students
The situation took a new turn when students blocked Brewery Road near Golimar Chowk to amplify their demands, but police intervened with further force, using tear gas to scatter the protesters. Clashes between student groups earlier in the day had reportedly prompted police action, yet the scale of violence and the force used against protesting students has since drawn sharp criticism.
Student organizations, including the Baloch Students Action Committee, Pashtun Students Federation, Baloch Students Organization, BSO Pajjar, and Pashtunkhwa Students Organization, condemned the raid and subsequent police brutality. Political leaders such as Ghulam Nabi Mari of BNP, Asghar Khan Achakzai from ANP, Dr. Ishaq Baloch of the National Party, and Gulzadi Baloch of BYC joined the protests at the Quetta Press Club, denouncing the authorities’ actions and calling for immediate accountability.
Speakers addressed the crowd, demanding the release of the detained students, the reopening of BMC hostels, and justice for those injured. They called for an end to the intimidation and unlawful arrests of Baloch students, asserting that the use of excessive force was a direct violation of students’ rights. More than 128 students are kept in illegal custody of police on 3MPO which is a violations and an attack on students rights.
POB has become a laboratory of human tragedies, where Baloch students face daily repression and violence at the hands of botched occupied-authorities. The raid and ensuing violence have now transformed into a larger movement, with calls for justice and basic rights echoing throughout the province. The brutality displayed by Quetta police is a part of a larger pattern of systemic prejudice and suppression targeting Baloch community.