Zrumbesh | Zrumbesh

Turbat - Fifth day of protest sit-in continues, shutter down strike will be held across Makuran Region on 27th November

 Today is the fifth day of the protest sit-in with the dead body of Shaheed Balach s/o Mula Bakhsh at Shaheed Fida Ahmed Chowk in Turbat.

 Tonight, the protestors of the protest sit-in held a press conference and said that 

"The ongoing protest with the dead body of Shaheed Balach Baloch has completed five days. From the first day of the protest, our demands were:

1. CTDS should retract their false statement.

2. Judicial inquiry against CTDS's fake encounters should be initiated.

3. The Prime Minister and Chief Minister should immediately ensure an end to fake encounters.

4. The Supreme Court of Pakistan should take notice of fake encounters.

5. Recoveries of all missing persons.

They said "We've been protesting alongside the body of Shaheed Balach Baloch for justice and to demand an end to state-sponsored killings and looting in Balochistan. Unfortunately, the state seems adamant on ridiculing our demands by issuing false statements, presenting dramatic narratives post-protest, and sending negotiators who merely aggravate wounds rather than offering solutions. The individuals sent for negotiations claim powerlessness, then bring an order from the High Court that hasn't been implemented. Moreover, they are attempting to pressurize the victims families mentally to withdraw from the protest.

The court had issued an order to register a case against CTD's for the fake encounters involving Shaheed Balach and other missing individuals, but state institutions have disregarded this order, just as Anwar ul Haq Kakar clarified in Pakistan's highest court that the state and its rulers are not accountable for Baloch genocide as they hold the helm of state institutions. The ongoing killings and atrocities in Balochistan are due to the state's agenda, intensifying the gravity of the situation in the region with each passing day.

As part of the protest today, demonstrators gathered in D-Baloch and staged a sit-in for five hours, blocking the roads. For the past two days, due to the support of the Baloch people, a complete shutter down strike has been observed in Kech. However, these actions haven't resonated with the government, indicating that the killing in Balochistan is not just the murder by a CTD personnel or an individual but a well-planned scheme that has initiated a separate phase of Baloch genocide throughout Balochistan. If the Baloch nation doesn't organize itself in these circumstances and doesn't resist against this state-sponsored killing and looting, this cycle will persist. Homes in Balochistan will continue to face abductions, resulting in yet another Baloch turning into a mere statistic.

 The aim is to convey a message to the state with a strong and organized political force that the current Baloch genocide policy will not be accepted, and resistance against it will be fierce. Today, thousands stand with the slain Baloch's family not just to demand justice but also to participate in this struggle for their future and their forcibly disappeared loved ones. In a similar vein, people across Balochistan need to mobilize from their homes because if there's no resistance against this state-sponsored oppression and injustice, every home will witness another Baloch turning into a mere corpse.

The state's endeavor to create an environment in Balochistan where, on the one hand, the state indiscriminately loots Baloch resources, and on the other hand, accelerates Baloch genocide, has pushed them to the extreme of seeking refuge elsewhere. 

Today, people from all over Balochistan are being abducted and killed. If this chain isn't stopped, this fire will spread throughout Balochistan. Hence, resistance isn't just necessary; it has become a duty. The movement for the slain Baloch needs to be expanded. In this regard, a complete shutdown strike is announced across Makuran tomorrow. Traders are requested to wholeheartedly cooperate in this action, and people from all over Makuran should participate in this strike to send a message to the state that the Baloch nation will not accept the state's policies regarding Balochistan.

Moreover, we give the state a 24-hour ultimatum. If they do not take serious action on the presented demands within this time frame, then further actions will be announced, which will be more stringent.

The SHO involved in continuous fake encounters should be suspended immediately. However, the state's effort so far seems aimed at ridiculing our demands, from the fake encounter statement by the CTD to issuing another dramatic statement after the protest, followed by the arrival of individuals for negotiations who do nothing but exacerbate wounds without offering any solution. Those being sent for negotiations are the same individuals who initially claimed they have no authority, only to later bring an order from the High Court that wasn't implemented, and now these same people are trying to create mental pressure on the families to retreat from this protest. The order issued by the court to register a case against the CTD for the fake encounter of the slain Baloch and other missing persons has been discarded by state institutions, just like Anwar ul Haq Kakar's appearance in Pakistan's highest court was directed. He clarified that neither the state nor its rulers are responsible for Baloch genocide cases as they are under the control of state institutions, and all the killings and aggressions in Balochistan are happening on the orders of the state. This situation is making conditions in Balochistan increasingly serious day by day."

Press Release