Pakistan: People join protest rally in Kohlu against "Baloch Genocide"
Dec 17, 2023
Balochistan [Pakistan], December 17 : A large number of people have joined the Long March, a protest rally, in the Kohlu district of Balochistan against the "Baloch Genocide," The Balochistan Post reported.
As per reports, hundreds of thousands of people took part in the protest organised by the long marchers in Kohlu district and observed a complete shutdown in the city on Saturday.
During the protest, the relatives of the missing persons from Kohlu, as well as the tribal elders and the locals, demanded the return of the Baloch missing persons.
The Baloch Yekjetti Committee (BYC) said in its statement that thousands of Kohlu's non-Baloch people also came out for the rally to support the Long March and show the Baloch national solidarity and strength against the atrocities.
The BYC added that thousands of people have sent a clear message to Pakistan by participating in the long march rallies from Turbat to Kohlu that the Baloch nation is now united against this "tyranny" and will continue to fight against it, as per The Balochistan Post.
The BYC said the Long March convoy has reached Kohlu from Turbat but the state is trying to stop the peaceful march by erecting barricades everywhere.
"The state is deploying a large number of troops at the Bauta checkpost to prevent the Long March from going to Dera Ghazi Khan," the statement said, as per The Balochistan Post.
Recently, large-scale protests erupted across Balochistan after an alarming rise in cases of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances spanning different demographics in the region, the Human Rights Council of Balochistan (HRCB) stated in a report.
Notably, the month of November witnessed an alarming rise in cases of human rights violations throughout Balochistan.
As many as 65 incidents of enforced disappearances were recorded, spanning different demographics from underage to disabled persons, newlyweds, students, doctors, shopkeepers, and labourers and 39 extrajudicial killings were reported, including 10 previously disappeared persons killed by state forces in fake encounters.
Throughout the month, Balochistan witnessed a tragic toll with the loss of 39 lives, including five women, in various incidents. While 30 of the victims have been identified, the identities of 10 remain unknown.
