Mass Protests Erupt in Nushki Against State Repression and Enforced Disappearances in Balochistan

May 22, 2025: In a powerful display of civil resistance, the residents of Nushki in Pakistan’s Balochistan province staged a mass protest rally against extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and the unlawful detention of leaders from the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC). The demonstration, organized in response to a call from the BYC, reflected widespread public anger over what protesters described as a campaign of state-backed repression.

According to a statement released by the BYC on social media, the rally was held to denounce “state brutality” and highlight a pattern of grave human rights violations in the region. “The people of Nushki answered the Baloch Yakjehti Committee’s call,” the group said. “In large numbers, they took to the streets, raising their voices against extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and the unlawful detention of BYC leadership.”

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The immediate trigger for the protest was an incident on March 16, when Pakistani security forces allegedly abducted 11 individuals, including three minors, near SBK University in Nushki. The BYC confirmed the identities of those taken and condemned the act as part of a broader and disturbing pattern of state violence targeting Baloch civilians.

Among recent cases that have drawn outrage is the reported killing of Baloch car racer Tariq Baloch, which the BYC described as part of the “kill and dump” policy allegedly employed by Pakistani authorities to silence dissent.

Nushki’s protest was not an isolated event. Similar demonstrations have unfolded across Balochistan, including in Quetta, Turbat, and Dalbandin, where citizens—many of them family members of the disappeared—voiced their anguish and frustration. Protesters held banners and shouted slogans demanding accountability, justice, and the immediate release of detained BYC members.

The BYC reaffirmed that these protests are peaceful and rooted in the collective demand for justice, dignity, and the right to live free from fear. They pledged to continue their mobilization until authorities respond to their demands and end the ongoing cycle of repression.

There are increasing calls for international attention and intervention, with activists urging global human rights organizations to recognise the deteriorating situation in Balochistan. Protesters argue that only international pressure can compel the Pakistani state to acknowledge and address the alleged systemic abuse of its own citizens.

The people of Nushki and other towns across Balochistan remain defiant, standing firm in their demand for transparency, justice, and an end to impunity.