After 30 Days, Baloch Protesters Call Off Sit-In In Federal Capital

Mahrang Baloch says they will be returning to Balochistan where they will stage a rally in favour of their demands on January 27

After 30 Days, Baloch Protesters Call Off Sit-In In Federal Capital

The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) ended their nearly 30-day sit-in outside the National Press Club (NPC) in Islamabad on Tuesday.

Baloch protesters have been demonstrating in the federal capital since December 20, 2023, denouncing "enforced disappearances and extra-judicial killings."

Dr Mahrang Baloch, an activist and one of the key organizers of the protest, stated that they will be returning to their homes in Balochistan.

"We will hold a rally in Balochistan on January 27," she said.

The development comes a day after the NPC Islamabad filed a complaint with the Kohsar Police Station, asking for the Baloch protesters to be removed from the park located outside the NPC.

According to media reports, the club's administration, in its complaint, perceived a security danger for a variety of reasons, including the fact that numerous national political and social figures visit the NPC to attend various occasions.

The NPC administration stated that the protesters' sit-in had lasted over a month, resulting in financial loss because people from the political and social sectors avoided attending press conferences and other political and social functions at the NPC.

Last month, Islamabad police cracked down on Baloch demonstrators and demolished camps set up outside the National Press Club.

The majority of the demonstrators were arrested by police, which provoked outrage throughout the nation.

The administration first justified the crackdown, saying it was a necessary precaution to avert a "catastrophe."

Following the criticism over the repression, all Baloch protesters were released after a week in custody.

Earlier this month, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) directed local officials and police to avoid causing any disruption or using force to remove the Baloch protesters.

Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani made instructions in response to a petition brought by a Baloch activist, Sammi Deen Baloch, who was also among the protesting families in Islamabad, against harassment and attempts to remove marchers using force.