ISLAMABAD: The Baloch Yakjehti Comm­ittee (BYC) on Saturday continued its ongoing sit-in on the road leading to the National Press Club as the route had been blocked by police with barbed wire, preventing its activists from returning to their original protest site, Dawn.com reports.

The Islamabad sit-in began on July 16, with BYC demanding the rel­ease of its activists. Political leaders, journalists and activists have joined the sit-in over the past few days.

As the demonstrators were not allowed to set up their camp outside the press club, they would leave in the evening and return to protest in the afternoon. A Dawn.com correspondent at the scene reported when they arrived on Saturday they found the route to the press club blocked.

“We started our camp in the morning and finished in the evening as the authorities did not allow us to erect tents,” a woman protester told Dawn.com. “When we came back today, they didn’t allow us to proceed and we were told that we didn’t have an NOC (no-objection certificate).”

She continued that “everyone had the right to protest except for the Baloch”.

“We have been sitting on the main road peacefully for the fourth day, but the police have called in buses to take us away and increased their numbers,” she added.

When asked about the possibility of a crackdown, the protester said, “Th­ey’re prepared to drag us into buses and take us back to Balochistan.”

According to the BYC, elderly people, women and children are among the protesters today and facing extreme heat.

“Whether under pouring rain or in scorching heat, they have continued their peaceful demonstration on the bare footpaths, without tents or shade,” the rights group wrote on X.

Lawyer Nadia Baloch, Mahr­ang’s sister, expr­essed fears of a crackdown by police in a post on X. “Riot police have surrounded the National Press Club in Islamabad and its surrounding areas with barbed wire,” she wrote.

“We are peaceful protesters, including older women and young children, who have travelled thousands of kilometres from Balochistan to this city of power and authority, only to now face the threat of arrest, violence, and intimidation.”

Former PPP senator Farhatullah Babar told Dawn.com that there are “hardly 20 women” at the demonstration and that protesting is their fundamental right.

He highlighted two main issues in Balochistan, which are causing discontent among the people. “There are two fundamental issues in Balochistan: number one, people want their representative assembly and government,” he explained.

“People in Balochistan feel that neither the assembly nor the government are their genuine representative. When you don’t have trust in your government … there is resentment.”

He highlighted that the second issue is enforced disappearances, stating, “My suggestion to the state would be to come out of the mode of denial, admit that there is an issue of enforced disappearances and sit together.” Mr Babar emphasised that all stakeholders should sit together and find a solution.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, in a tweet, said it stood by “their right to peaceful assembly and protest” and asked the authorities to differentiate between advocacy for legitimate rights and militancy.

“Wo­men and children from Balochistan deserve as much dignity and respect as people from other parts of the country.”

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2025