Islamabad, July 21, 2025 – Police in Islamabad on Sunday blocked Baloch protesters from reaching the National Press Club, as a sit-in led by families of forcibly disappeared persons and members of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) entered its fifth consecutive day, The Balochistan Post reported.
The demonstrators—comprising women, children, and elderly individuals—attempted a peaceful march but were stopped by authorities who had sealed access roads with barricades. Denied passage, the protesters were forced to resume their sit-in on the roadside, enduring extreme heat and heavy rains without access to basic shelter like tents or shaded areas.
“Is it a crime to travel from Balochistan to Islamabad to peacefully demand justice?” asked one protester. Families expressed anguish at being treated, in their words, “like criminals and enemies.”
According to the BYC, the Islamabad police have adopted “repressive tactics,” including closing roads, denying essential supplies, and parking police vehicles nearby to create an atmosphere of intimidation. In a statement posted on social media platform X, the BYC accused the authorities of “suppressing voices demanding justice and denying their right to peaceful assembly.”
Tensions escalated further late Sunday night when human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari reported that Baloch women, including mothers and daughters of missing persons, were forcibly evicted from a flat in Islamabad. The eviction followed the cut-off of water supply earlier in the day, allegedly under pressure from the SHO of Sabzi Mandi, who reportedly coerced the landlord into removing the occupants around midnight.
The ongoing protest has drawn increasing attention from civil society and rights groups, who have expressed serious concern over the treatment of vulnerable demonstrators. Despite harsh conditions and official pressure, the Baloch families remain steadfast in their call for accountability and justice for their missing loved ones.
