On Tuesday, the Baloch Solidarity Committee organized a rally starting from Balochistan University to Zarghun Road, culminating in a dharna (sit-in) outside the Balochistan Assembly. The demonstrators, which included lawyers and members of civil society, demanded the release of arrested leaders and workers from the Baloch Solidarity Committee as well as the restoration of internet services in the region.
During the sit-in, protest leaders warned that they would escalate their actions and potentially close down all of Balochistan if their demands were not met. The protest led to significant traffic disruptions in the city, with protesters forcibly closing shops in various areas of Quetta.
Khuzdar: In solidarity with the Quetta protest, a shutter-down strike was observed in Khuzdar and surrounding areas. Local businesses remained closed in protest against the arrest of Baloch Solidarity Committee leaders. This strike extended to other regions, where business closures were in response to alleged sabotage of a rally organized by Raji Machi in Gwadar. Traffic on the national highway was notably sparse.
An online report detailed that leaders of the Baloch Solidarity Committee, speaking to the media in Quetta, had planned a national gathering in Gwadar on July 28. They alleged that caravans coming from various parts of Balochistan and Sindh were intercepted, and that an incident of firing in Mastung resulted in injuries to their workers and the death of one comrade.
The protests and strikes in Gwadar and Mastung have also left a significant number of pilgrims, including women and children, stranded at the Pak-Iran border due to the closure of major highways, including the Makran Coastal Highway M8. These stranded individuals are reportedly facing food shortages, with local authorities expressing challenges in bringing them to Karachi.
Amnesty International has expressed serious concern over the crackdown on Baloch protests, labeling the arrests of organizers as extremely troubling. The organization called for the immediate and unconditional release of all those detained for exercising their right to peaceful assembly.
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