By Abdullah Baloch
The Baloch Unity Committee (BYC) has once again initiated a coordinated campaign under the cloak of human rights and the so-called “women’s card,” positioning itself squarely against the State of Pakistan. This protest has shifted from Balochistan straight to the nation’s capital, Islamabad, with the apparent objective of defaming the state and exerting undue pressure on the judicial system. It’s a well-worn strategy emotional narratives, sensationalist media coverage, and appeals to the international community, all devoid of credible evidence. Claiming their children have “disappeared,” yet no proof is produced, and no clarity is given on who is responsible, secondly they demand the “Release of BYC leaders”. Such baseless narratives, wielded like a blunt instrument, appear designed to blackmail the state itself.
The reality, however, tells a vastly different story. Many of those cited as “missing” are later found to have aligned themselves with anti-state militant groups such as BLA, BLF, BRA, or BRAS—crossing borders to undergo combat training and engage in violent actions against Pakistan. When security forces neutralize these operatives, their families reclaim the bodies and publicly identify them as “missing persons,” staging protests, chanting slogans, and branding the state as brutal and oppressive. In truth, these individuals were criminals embroiled in terrorism, and their elimination was a lawful enforcement of state sovereignty.
These protesters who dub themselves human rights advocates and political activists are operating under a deeply ideological agenda. When BYC leaders surface on Time magazine lists or assert secret Nobel Peace Prize nominations—which are typically classified for half a century—the narrative is amplified globally without scrutiny. Yet when it comes to locating their own missing kin, no investigation materializes; rather, the default accusation reigns that state machinery is to blame. This glaring double standard reveals the primary objective: not human rights, but a concerted effort to besmirch the state.
It is profoundly disappointing that these protesters have not denounced the Baloch Liberation Army—the very group responsible for targeting innocent laborers, teachers, police officers, and security personnel. Nor have they condemned the blatant attacks launched by India against Pakistan on May 7, aimed at destabilizing the country’s infrastructure. Some have even publicly offered prayers for India. If these individuals were genuine proponents of peace, they would denounce militants who take up arms against the state. Their deafening silence undermines their purported goodwill.
Despite all this belligerence, the State of Pakistan has exhibited remarkable restraint. Protesters have been allowed to demonstrate freely outside the Islamabad Press Club, without the use of force. Yet, when the evidence amassed against BYC’s detained leaders became overwhelmingly incriminating, they swiftly shifted their strategy—relocating their protest from Quetta to Islamabad. This platform provides media attention and leverages the judicial spotlight in a way that provincial protests cannot.
Joining them in Islamabad are prominent journalists, NGO operatives, and self-proclaimed human rights champions—many fiercely critical of state narratives, yet conspicuously silent on terrorism. Notably, when police officers and soldiers were recently martyred in Dera Bugti, not a single statement of condemnation emerged from these circles. Such silence speaks volumes: this is a crusade against the state, not against violent extremism.
BYC leadership and its affiliates understand that protests in Quetta yield little traction. In Islamabad, however, they can sway national media, attract international agencies, and mobilize global pressure—strategies aimed at influencing judicial outcomes and securing the release of arrested leaders. Attempting to sway the judiciary through orchestrated public demonstrations is no longer legitimate civic activism—it borders on criminal orchestration.
Their tactics—highway blockades, character assassination of institutions, and misinformation campaigns—underscore a calculated mission: to besmirch Pakistan on the global stage and destabilize its institutions. Reports indicate they receive funding from foreign entities and benefit from proxy support. Their actions flagrantly contravene Pakistani laws and undermine the aspirations of Baloch citizens.
Let there be no misunderstanding: their objectives stray far from the safeguarding of human rights or the promotion of democracy. They seek to pressure the state, evade accountability, and derail judicial proceedings. Unless decisively countered, this operation risk establishing a dangerous precedent that other separatist movements may exploit.
It is imperative that Balochistan’s judiciary proceed without delay, adjudicating the cases of BYC’s detained operators based solely on evidence. The supremacy of law cannot be compromised. Meanwhile, protesters in Islamabad should be arrested—if found infringing legal boundaries—and transferred to Balochistan for impartial legal processing. The state must act within constitutional bounds, immune to coercive tactics, to uphold peace, justice, and national equilibrium.
In sum, Pakistan must transmit a resolute message: while freedom of expression is sacrosanct, it does not grant immunity to enterprises aimed at destabilizing the state. Anyone—mother, activist, or protester—who aligns with forces of discord must be held accountable under the law, safeguarding the integrity of our nation and the independence of our judiciary.
