Baloch Yakjehti Committee ends two-week-long sit-in

QUETTA: The Baloch Yakjehti Committee has announced to end two-week-long sit-ins that had been ongoing in several cities, including Gwadar and Quetta, following successful negotiations with the government.

In Gwadar, talks between senior Balochistan government minister Zahoor Ahmad Buledi and the head of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee Dr Mahrang Baloch concluded successfully on Thursday night.

Following the successful negotiations, Dr Mahrang Baloch announced that the participants of the sit-in at Marine Drive in Gwadar would leave for Turbat on Friday in a caravan.

According to Gwadar police, the participants had announced the end of the sit-in at 10am. They have begun packing their belongings, but the rally is still ongoing.

Police also reported that, in addition to Gwadar, sit-ins organised by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee were also held on Sariab Road in Quetta, Station Chowk in Nushki, and Shaheed Fida Chowk in Turbat.

Baloch Yakjehti Committee leader Biberg Baloch told Urdu News that while they have decided to end their protest, they were waiting for the release of their arrested colleagues.

He added that they were being held in Huda district jail in Quetta, and as soon as they were released, they will be brought to the Quetta sit-in, after which the protest will officially end.

According to Sadaqat Baloch, a journalist from Gwadar, the government had closed all the city’s entrances and exits due to the sit-in, leading to a shortage of food supplies in the city. He also noted that the district administration had required permission from the district authorities for entering Gwadar and had mandated passenger bus owners to share information about passengers traveling to and from Gwadar with the administration via WhatsApp.

Also read: Baloch protesters end months-long sit-in citing harassment

Sadaqat Baloch expressed hope that, following the return of the sit-in participants, all roads would be reopened and restrictions lifted.

The protests in several cities of Balochistan, including Gwadar and Quetta, began on July 27 after the government attempted to stop the Baloch Yakjehti Committee’s “Baloch Raji Machi” (Baloch National Gathering) rally on July 28. The government blocked roads in various cities, including Mastung, Turbat, Gwadar, Nushki, Hub, Lasbela, and Panjgur, which led to clashes between security forces and protesters.

In response to these clashes, the protestors blocked roads in different cities and staged sit-ins, while the government continued to block roads for the past two weeks to prevent the protestors from reaching Gwadar. Since then, mobile phone networks and internet services have also been suspended in Gwadar.

The Baloch Yakjehti Committee claimed that three people were killed in these clashes, while the government said that one security officer was killed, and 16 others were injured due to the violence by the protesters.

A Pakistan army spokesman described the Baloch Yakjehti Committee “as a proxy for banned organisations and accused them of working on a foreign agenda.”

 Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti also criticised the participants and leadership of the Gwadar sit-in, stating that they aimed to sabotage CPEC by holding Gwadar hostage.

On Thursday, a spokesman for the Baloch Yakjehti Committee stated that the government delegation had accepted their demands, leading to the decision to end the protest.

The demands include the release of all arrested participants of the Baloch Raji Machi rally and the dismissal of cases registered against them, the assurance that Baloch Yakjehti Committee workers will not be harassed or have cases filed against them, the reopening of all highways in Gwadar and Makran, and the restoration of network services.

It was also agreed with the government that legal proceedings could be initiated against state institutions if cases are not registered for those killed and injured during the protest. Compensation for financial losses incurred by the people during the protest will also be addressed.

The agreement stipulated that the Balochistan home department will issue a notification stating that force will not be used against any peaceful assembly.

The spokesman added that the government has announced the formation of a committee to ensure the implementation of all points in the agreement, and if any point is not fulfilled, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee will continue its struggle.

He concluded by saying that the Baloch Raji Machi was initially a one-day national gathering that the state turned into a long sit-in through force and violence.