Pakistan: Baloch Students Action Committee condemns state interference in book fairs

Quetta [Pakistan], January 14 : The Baloch Students Action Committee (BSAC) has strongly condemned the actions of the state police and local authorities, who disrupted book fairs organised as part of the Balochistan Book Caravan. According to a press release by BSAC, these fairs were launched at the beginning of the new year, to bring valuable educational resources to remote areas of Balochistan, but were met with significant opposition from state institutions.
The book fairs, which featured books from various fields such as politics, science, society, history, and technology, were set up with the goal of promoting knowledge and awareness among the Baloch people. However, BSAC reported that police forces in several districts forcefully shut down these fairs, indicating an attempt to suppress the dissemination of knowledge.
The first incident occurred in Naseerabad, where a large police force was deployed to dismantle the book stall. This was followed by a similar event in Sibi, where both the book stall and the central leadership of BSAC, along with students, were detained, profiled, and harassed. In Kharaan, district authorities attempted to harass the organisers through phone calls and other means. Most recently, in Barkhan, police raided and forcibly closed down the book stall, continuing the state's interference in the educational efforts.
BSAC, led by Secretary General Azhar Baloch, emphasised that these actions were part of a broader strategy by the state to keep the Baloch population in the dark and prevent access to knowledge. He stated that such harassment and suppression of educational initiatives reflect the state's deliberate effort to maintain control over the Baloch nation by stifling awareness and intellectual growth.
"The state's actions are not just an attack on books, but on the very essence of education and enlightenment," Azhar Baloch said in the press release. "When the state denies access to knowledge, it denies the future of an entire nation."
BSAC reiterated that it would continue its struggle for knowledge and unity, and resist all efforts to undermine the educational rights of the Baloch people. The committee also highlighted the widespread lack of educational resources in Balochistan, where schools and libraries are scarce, and millions of children remain out of school.