Unrest in Quetta: Protesters Demand Release of BYC Leaders Amid Police Crackdown

Tensions rise in Quetta as police dismantle protests against the life imprisonment of Baloch Yakjehti Committee leaders Dr. Mahrang Baloch and Sibghatullah Shahji. Demonstrators, detained during a crackdown, continue to rally in solidarity, demanding their release, amid growing unrest and traffic disruptions throughout the city.

Widespread unrest gripped Quetta following a forceful operation by Pakistani police to disperse demonstrators protesting the life sentences of Baloch Yakjehti Committee leaders Dr. Mahrang Baloch and Sibghatullah Shahji. Several protesters, notably women, were detained, sparking further city-wide demonstrations, reports The Balochistan Post.

According to reports, the protesters had initially gathered near Burma Hotel in Quetta's Sariab area to express their dissent over the convictions and demand the immediate release of the incarcerated BYC leaders. Witnesses recounted significant police presence before the assembly, with police vehicles, prison vans, and senior officers strategically placed. Participants alleged that security forces acted swiftly following the demonstrators' chants, resulting in multiple arrests and the baton charging of women trying to intervene.

Those apprehended were relocated to undisclosed locations, with their cell phones seized by authorities. The police action prompted a blockade at Bashir Chowk with protesters demanding unconditional releases. As tensions heightened, the demonstrations extended to other parts of the city, including the Eastern Bypass and Qambrani Road, causing traffic disruptions. The BYC, in a statement, accused authorities of continuously trying to stifle what they deemed a peaceful movement, resolving to persist in their sit-in until the release of all detainees, according to The Balochistan Post.