Defense News - In an effort to impede the progress of hundreds of Baloch protesters marching towards Islamabad, the authorities in Dera Ghazi Khan, Pakistan, have taken measures to curb their peaceful demonstration, as reported by The Friday Times, a prominent Pakistani English-language newspaper based in Lahore.
According to the publication, approximately 20 Baloch activists have been apprehended, and transporters in the district have purportedly been instructed to deny services to march participants who have chosen to continue their journey on foot.
The origin of this march dates back to last month when residents from Baluchistan embarked on a long journey from Turbat, expressing their discontent against the enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings of their loved ones, with no legal recourse available, as documented by The Friday Times.
The march initially traversed from Turbat to the provincial capital of Quetta through Khuzdar, with subsequent plans announced to extend the protest to the federal capital, Islamabad.
Upon reaching Dera Ghazi Khan late last week, the protesters alleged that the district administration and other authorities were actively obstructing their peaceful progression towards Taunsa.
Mahrang Baloch, one of the protesters, revealed that the state had resorted to threats and denied them access to transportation, further reporting the arrest of several fellow protesters.
Undeterred by these challenges, on Tuesday, the marchers resolved to continue their journey towards Islamabad, commencing the next leg of their march on foot from Dera Ghazi Khan. Their strategy involves staging a peaceful protest demonstration in Taunsa before advancing further towards the federal capital, according to The Friday Times.
Simultaneously, FIRs were filed against activists participating in the march in various parts of Balochistan, including Kohlu, Naal, and Khuzdar.
The march, which began on November 23 with a sit-in in Turbat following the custodial death of 24-year-old Balach Mola Bakhsh, has faced adversity since its inception. Bakhsh, arrested by the Baluchistan Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on October 29, was reported to have been found dead weeks later in a militant camp raided by the CTD, despite being officially on physical remand, as highlighted by The Friday Times.
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