Scorching heat, unyielding resolve: Baloch activists risk lives in hunger strike amid Pak genocide

The strike, now in its second day, is taking place in extreme temperatures of nearly 50°C on Thursday outside the Turbat Press Club, as reported by The Balochistan Post.

The BYC is demanding the immediate release of their leaders who have been detained by the authorities. The activists are calling for an end to enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Balochistan.

"Despite the sweltering heat of 50°C, members of the Baloch nation are bravely joining the hunger strike," the BYC stated in a social media post. "Their message is unmistakable: safeguard and rescue BYC leaders and unite against injustice."

In a post on X, BYC Kech chapter stated, "Kech, Turbat - 20 June 2025 Day 2 of BYC''s hunger strike camp in front of Press Club Turbat. For the 3rd time, traffic accidents damaged the camp. If anyone gets injured, police authorities will be held responsible."

https://x.com/BYCKech/status/1935948541454647579

In another post on X, BYC Kech chapter stated, "Turbat, Kech - 20 June 2025 Day 2 of the hunger strike camp continued outside the Press Club Turbat. Despite the blistering 50°C heat, members of the Baloch nation are courageously participating in the hunger strike."

"Their message is clear: protect and save BYC leaders, and stand united against injustice," it added.

https://x.com/BYCKech/status/1935989454507737394

The protest camp has experienced three instances of obstruction since its inception, which they claim were either initiated or facilitated by police, The Balochistan Post reported.

"For the third time, traffic accidents have damaged the camp. If anyone gets hurt, police officials will be held accountable," the group announced, sharing video evidence from the roadside demonstration.

During the sit-in, the BYC''s Kech chapter reaffirmed its primary demands: the immediate release of detained leaders, the recovery of forcibly disappeared individuals, an end to what it described as the "Baloch genocide," and the filing of FIRs in cases of "fake encounters."

The organisation encouraged families of those who have been forcibly disappeared or killed in "fake encounters" to visit the protest site and share their accounts. "Your voice is significant," it emphasised.

As per the BYC, evidence of "enforced disappearances" and "extrajudicial killings" is being meticulously documented at the camp to be presented to courts and international human rights bodies.

The group also accused ongoing police interference and a lack of security measures as part of a wider strategy by state institutions to undermine peaceful protests. Nonetheless, they declared they would not "succumb to pressure" and promised that the demonstration would persist regardless of the circumstances.

The BYC called on international human rights organisations to take immediate notice of what it termed "state atrocities" in Balochistan, including enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and judicial injustices, urging Pakistan to adhere to its constitutional and international legal commitments.

Meanwhile, in the Mastung district of Balochistan, a separate protest reached its 12th hour on Friday, with demonstrators obstructing the Karachi-Quetta highway at Ghulam Parhenz in response to the alleged enforced disappearance of a man named Azizur Rehman.

According to The Balochistan Post, the sit-in, which includes women, children, and elderly citizens, has completely halted traffic. Authorities have reportedly made two unsuccessful attempts to negotiate with the protestors.

The victim''s family has insisted on continuing the protest until Rehman is safely returned. They also claimed that the district administration has threatened to use batons if the blockade is not lifted.

"If any harm, either physical or material, comes to the protesters, the responsibility will lie with the Deputy Commissioner of Mastung, the Assistant Commissioner, the DSP, and the SHO," the family warned in a statement. (ANI)