A storm of condemnation has erupted in Balochistan after police arrested scores of government employees during a peaceful rally in Quetta, drawing ire from the Baloch Students Action Committee (BSAC). The educators and professionals were pushing for disparity reduction allowances when authorities intervened aggressively on Tuesday.
Organized under the Balochistan Grand Alliance, the group planned a Red Zone sit-in but found paths sealed. Relocating to the Press Club yielded no reprieve; police detained dozens, including shocking footage of a professor being dragged away. BSAC termed these arrests ‘profoundly disturbing’ and a direct affront to academic honor.
Public outrage peaked over the video of uniformed officers – funded by taxpayer money – humiliating an educator on the pavement. ‘This is the height of indignity toward teachers, an unethical act we vehemently denounce,’ BSAC proclaimed, exposing the chasm between government pledges on reforms and reality.
Peaceful advocacy for rights now equates to criminality in Balochistan, the committee charged, with fabricated charges doled out as punishment. They called for unbiased inquiries by senior officials and severe penalties for guilty parties, while rejecting violence outright.
Mobile networks went dark in Quetta during the standoff, exacerbating chaos as workers from distant districts navigated barricades erected late the previous night. Undeterred, the Grand Alliance launched a ‘Fill the Jails’ initiative against the arrests. Amid serial public sector protests, human rights groups decry Pakistan’s harsh playbook in the troubled region.
Balochistan’s woes run deep: chronic underpayment fuels demonstrations, testing Islamabad’s control. This flashpoint could amplify calls for autonomy, underscoring the urgent need for dialogue over draconian measures to prevent escalation.