"Protest camp will be set up outside UN office to seek International community help" warns Baloch activist Mahrang Baloch

Islamabad [Pakistan], January 4 : As the seven-day ultimatum given by the Baloch Yekjehti Committee (BYC) ended on Wednesday, Baloch activist Mahrang Baloch, has announced that a protest camp will be set up in front of the United Nations (UN) offices, Pakistan-based Dawn reported. She criticised the Islamabad police for profiling the participants and visitors to their camp outside the National Press Club.
Baloch said, "We will decide the next course of action in the coming days based on the response of the authorities," adding, "and if all peaceful means to persuade our demands fail, we will establish our camp outside the UN office to seek help from the international community," Dawn reported.
Baloch expressed gratitude to the judiciary for restricting the Islamabad police and capital administration from taking any action against their protest camp outside the National Press Club.
She said, "Nobody has sought security from the police, but their large presence is only to intimidate the participants of the protest camp," she said, adding that, "they cannot scare us now after the directives of the courts," according to Dawn report.
The decision of the Islamabad High Court after increased police activity around the Baloch protest camp sparked concerns about a potential crackdown. Rumours were rife that Islamabad police would launch an operation in the early hours of Wednesday taking advantage of the dense fog to dislodge the Baloch Yekjehti Committee (BYC) committee protest camp.
In a post shared on X on Wednesday, the Baloch Yekjehti Committee Islamabad stated, "A large number of @ICT_Police have arrived in front of the Sit-in Camp, and we are concerned that they're going to crack down on us and arrest the peaceful protesters."
The reports started to circulate after Kohsar police station SHO visited the camp on Tuesday and said the state was providing security to the Baloch Yekjehti Committee, Dawn reported.
Earlier on Wednesday, Mahrang Baloch said that the seven-day deadline given to the government for the recovery of missing persons had ended, however, relevant authorities have not given any response.
While addressing a press conference, She said, "Our campaign has now entered the third phase and we will not be bogged down by threats and pressures because we have a justified demand based on basic human rights."
Mahrang Baloch, who was flanked by Seema Baloch, sister of missing Shabbir Baloch and Sabghatullah Baloch, said that the BYC was calling for talks, but there should be a change in the attitude of the authorities.
Mahrang Baloch said, "They are still harassing our supporters; FIRs have been lodged against our people and nobody was discussing the real issue, which was the recovery of our missing people," adding, "this just shows how serious they are in resolving the issue".
The BYC leaders said they will continue their protests across the country and the protest camp in Islamabad will be further expanded with the participation of more families of missing Baloch persons. They said that social media campaigns and shutterdown strikes would be initiated.
Baloch expressed regret over the statement made by Pakistan's Caretaker PM Anwaarul Haq Kakar, who claimed that the missing persons were terrorists.
She said, "At least the Prime Minister has acknowledged that there was an issue of missing persons, and as for declaring them terrorists, I want to know which court has declared them terrorists; what about the implementation of various court decisions to produce the missing persons."
Meanwhile, the situation at the camp was deteriorating as many people at the camp, including children and the elderly, were facing the brunt of extreme Islamabad weather and a few had fallen sick, Dawn reported.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee on Thursday stated that their movement continued for the 42nd night despite bitter cold, fatigue and sickness in Islamabad.

In a post shared on X, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee stated, "Baloch movement's 42nd night: Despite bitter cold, fatigue, and sickness in Islamabad, the pain of waiting for missing loved ones outweighs the discomfort. Despite hardships, the #MarchAgainstBalochGenocide persists until justice is achieved."

Meanwhile, in the wake of ongoing protests in Balochistan, a complete shutterdown strike on Wednesday was observed in multiple areas of Pakistan against the extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances of Baloch people, the Yakjethti Committee said on Wednesday.
In a social media post on X, the committee said, "Complete Shutter Down is being observed in Turbat on the call of Baloch Yakjehti Committee on the 41st of the movement against Baloch Genocide. State has tried it's best to sabotage this movement through threats, profiling, harassment and violence. But, We as a nation are committed to END BALOCH GENOCIDE."
It added, "Today, entire Balochistan is testifying that this genocide and repression is no more. The ongoing shutter down strike across Pakistan and especially in Balochistan is a message to the state to stop its tricks and join the ongoing movement against Baloch genocide. Take the demands seriously. Shutter-down strike scenes from Khuzdar."
The shutterdown strike was also observed in Islamabad, where people showed their support by voluntarily closing their shopping centres in support of the ongoing protest in Islamabad. Glimpses of the shutterdown strike on the call of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee were also seen in Noshki. People came out voluntarily to close their shopping centres in support of the Sit-In at National Press Club, Islamabad.