Quetta, Dec 11 (IANS) Several villagers of Balochistan’s Kech district on Thursday are staging a protest against what they described as the “brutal trend” of indiscriminate firing by Pakistani forces targetting local civilians.

According to the Baloch Women Forum (BWF), the demonstrations are demanding punishment for those responsible and an immediate end to such dangerous acts.

The protest was sparked by the December 8 incident in the Sahaki area of Balgatar in Kech, where Pakistani security personnel opened fire on civilians, injuring a woman, identified as Durdana Baloch.

“For the last few years, Balochistan has been dragged into a catastrophic trend of brutal state barbarity, including enforced disappearances of Baloch women, bulldozing villages and even indiscriminate firing on civilians. They are negative developments in the state of human rights of the indigenous masses, which we not only denounce in the harshest terms, but also encourage mass public resistance against every such policy,” the BWF stated.

“The same Balgatar has already faced forced evacuation of its various areas in the name of security, challenged women victimisation, and now they are facing the heinous crime of being fired indiscriminately in midnights,” it added.

The BWF called for an end to the continuous Pakistani atrocities on the civilians in Balochistan in general, and of Balgatar in particular, and demanded timely accountability for the involved culprits.

Earlier on Tuesday, students of the University of Turbat in Kech staged a protest rally on campus, demanding the immediate recovery of three students, Noor Khan Nazar, Rahmat Halko, and Imran Taj, who have been forcibly disappeared, The Balochistan Post reported.

Carrying placards and banners, a large number of students marched through the university, voicing growing concern and fear within the student community.

According to the student leaders, Noor Khan Nazar has been missing since December 6, Rahmat Halko since October 5, and Imran Taj since June 21, and the Pakistani authorities have provided no information about their whereabouts. They stated that the prolonged silence has caused severe distress to families and fellow students, resulting in deep psychological trauma.

The protesters reportedly warned that the demonstrations would intensify if the missing students were not recovered. They also called on the authorities to guarantee the protection and safety of young people in Balochistan.

–IANS

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