BYC vows to ‘safeguard rights and resources’ of Baloch people

Published January 26, 2025
A view of the BYC rally in Dalbandin.—Muhammad Farooq
A view of the BYC rally in Dalbandin.—Muhammad Farooq

QUETTA: The “struggle for safeguarding the rights” of the Baloch will continue despite enforced disappearances, leaders of the BYC said in their spee­ches at a public meeting in Dalbandin on Saturday.

“We will no longer tolerate the plunder of Balochistan’s resources,” one of the spe­­akers said at the event, which was org­anised by the Baloch Yekjehti Committee to mark what it called the ‘Baloch genocide day’.

The speakers said Jan 25 was ‘a grievous day’ for the Baloch as it recalls the alleged discovery of graves containing as many as 12 bodies in Khuzdar’s Totak area in 2014. The identities of those buried in these graves remain unknown to this day, they added.

Dr Mahrang Baloch, the BYC’s central organiser, was the main speaker at the public meeting.

Speakers at a public meeting allege Balochistan’s resources are being plundered with impunity

Others who spoke on the occasion included Sam­­mi Deen Mohammad, Shahji Sibghatullah, Lala Wahab Baloch and Dr Sabiha Baloch.

The speakers alleged Balochistan’s resources were being exploited with impunity and whenever the Baloch spoke of their rights, they faced enforced disappearances and received “mutilated bodies” of their loved ones.

“The BYC will become a voice of the oppressed across Balochistan and will make every effort to secure their rights,” Dr Mahrang said.

She said it was wrong to think that the BYC was struggling only for recovery of the missing. “It is a platform for the protection of each and every Baloch’s rights.”

The BYC leader said Baloch people “face humiliation at check-posts”, “death squads terrorise them at every turn” and they lack educational facilities.

Dr Mahrang said the Reko Diq project was handed over to Barrick Gold Com­p­a­­ny without taking the people of Chagai into confidence. “The locals are getting no­­thing from the Saindak project as well.”

The BYC leaders alleged that on one hand the gold from Chagai was used to build a metro in Lahore, but on the other, the people of Balochistan did not even have access to basic healthcare.

They called upon the Baloch to “wake up for defending their rights”, land and culture. “The Baloch will not remain silent anymore as we have become a strong nation,” one speaker said.

A large number of people, including women and children, attended the public meeting. They flocked to Dalbandin from far-flung areas of the province.

Published in Dawn, January 26th, 2025

Opinion

Editorial

IMF scrutiny
Updated 11 Feb, 2025

IMF scrutiny

Strengthening foundations of the economic superstructure will help make the economy competitive and boost growth.
Shadow voices
11 Feb, 2025

Shadow voices

OVER the weekend, another ‘open letter’ addressed to the army chief and attributed to former prime minister ...
Paradise at a premium
11 Feb, 2025

Paradise at a premium

PAKISTAN’S recent triumph at the New York Travel and Adventure Show 2025, winning the Best Partner Pavilion Award,...
A positive note
Updated 10 Feb, 2025

A positive note

With govt unable to press growth accelerator without upending fragile recovery, sufferings of low-middle-income households are unlikely to disappear soon.
Justice for all
10 Feb, 2025

Justice for all

ALONG with his domestic agenda, Donald Trump is busy ripping to shreds the post-World War II ‘rules-based...
Held back
10 Feb, 2025

Held back

IT is a crying shame how women are conspicuously absent from Pakistan’s civil services. Despite comprising half ...