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Police in Gwadar conducted a raid at a bookstall associated with the "Balochistan Kitaab Karwaan" initiative, a project organised by the Baloch Students Action Committee (BSAC).
The Pakistan police authorities confiscated books and detained several students who were present at the stall, taking both the individuals and the seized materials to the police station, as reported by the Balochistan Post. According to the Balochistan Post, the BSAC swiftly condemned the action, calling it an attack on education and free expression. In a strongly worded statement, the committee remarked, "If reading and teaching books are deemed illegal, then all universities and colleges across the country should be shut down, and a bill should be passed banning books altogether." The group expressed frustration over the irony of Gwadar being promoted as a symbol of progress in Balochistan while education-related activities are being disrupted. The BSAC also pointed out the paradox that while serious social issues, such as drug use and crime, persist openly in the city, young people engaged in spreading knowledge through books are targeted by the authorities, the Balochistan Post reported. The Balochistan Post further reported that the committee accused the government of systematically discouraging education among Baloch youth and argued that such actions were part of a broader pattern of harassment aimed at alienating young people from learning. The BSAC warned that this ongoing repression was designed to instill a sense of hopelessness among the youth of Balochistan. Despite the intimidation, the BSAC pledged to continue its efforts to promote education and access to knowledge. The group demanded the immediate release of the detained students and the return of the confiscated books. The BSAC called for an end to the ongoing harassment of Baloch youth, emphasising that their mission to spread education would not be deterred, the Balochistan Post reported. (ANI)
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