Members of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee’s (BYC) Kech chapter continued their hunger strike for a second consecutive day on Friday, protesting the alleged “illegal detention” of their leaders and the “extrajudicial arrests of Baloch citizens”.
BYC chief Dr Mahrang Baloch and other activists were arrested on March 22 for “attacking” Quetta Civil Hospital and “inciting people to violence”, a day after their members faced a police crackdown in Quetta while protesting against alleged enforced disappearances. The BYC is a Baloch advocacy group working against enforced disappearances since 2018.
They were sent to jail under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, which empowers authorities to “arrest and detain suspected persons”. Mahrang and the other activists remain incarcerated.
The Kech chapter launched a three-day hunger strike in front of the Turbat Press Club on Thursday, according to the group’s X account.
“Despite the blistering 50°C heat, members of the Baloch nation are courageously participating in the hunger strike,” the BYC wrote in a post. “Their message is clear: protect and save BYC leaders and stand united against injustice.”
During the protest, the BYC alleged in posts that the demonstration had been disrupted by police and “traffic accidents”.
“For the third time, traffic accidents damaged the camp. If anyone gets injured, police authorities will be held responsible,” the BYC wrote, enclosing a video of the demonstration along the side of the road.
In April, Mahrang and other BYC leaders launched a hunger strike to protest alleged “torture” by jail staff, as well as the transfer of activist Beebow Baloch to district jail Pishin.
While the BYC is not listed among banned organisations by the National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta), Mahrang is included on its list of proscribed persons.
Earlier this month, Mahrang moved the Supreme Court against the Balochistan High Court’s (BHC) May 22 order that dismissed constitutional petitions challenging her detention and that of two other Baloch leaders.
In May, Amnesty International and four other human rights organisations had called on Pakistan to release human rights defenders in Balochistan and end the crackdown on dissent.