Why has the Balochistan Government Extended Section 144?

Quetta, Aug 30 (NationPress) The provincial government of Balochistan has decided to prolong the enforcement of Section 144 throughout the province for an additional 15 days, referencing the current law and order challenges, as indicated by an official notification from the Home Department, as reported by local media.

The notification, released by the Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department on Friday under Section 144, enforces a total ban on the display and use of weapons, pillion riding, vehicles with tinted windows, unregistered motorcycles, and assemblies, sit-ins, processions, and rallies involving five or more individuals.

The directive also prohibits the covering of faces in public spaces, particularly through the use of mufflers, masks, or any other means that hinder identification.

During a press briefing at the Quetta Press Club, Shahzeb Baloch, the central spokesperson for the National Democratic Party (NDP), criticized the restrictions imposed on political and democratic avenues as unconstitutional, asserting that it amounts to a suppression of justice.

He accused that political activists from Balochistan and other marginalized groups nationwide are not only facing harassment but are also subjected to detention through severe measures such as enforced disappearances.

Shahzeb indicated that the primary purpose of the press conference was to draw the attention of the Pakistani government to guarantee the recovery of all Baloch and other marginalized individuals, including members of the NDP, as reported by Balochistan Post.

He emphasized that any allegations against a political activist should be resolved in court as per the law. Nevertheless, he remarked that the collective punishment of an entire community through enforced disappearances constitutes ethnic and national cleansing and reflects a colonial mindset.

Simultaneously, tensions escalated in the Zawah and Zehri regions near Khuzdar district along the Quetta-Karachi highway, where protesters blocked the highway and conducted a sit-in. This demonstration continued for the second consecutive day on Friday following the abduction of passengers from a wagon traveling from Hub Chowki to Khuzdar.

Reports suggest that recently, Pakistani forces intercepted a wagon heading from Hub Chowki to Khuzdar, forcibly removing women and children while taking male passengers and the vehicle to an undisclosed location.

Local leader Baba Fateh Zehri informed reporters via phone that the Khuzdar Assistant Commissioner and Levies (law enforcement agency) personnel attempted to dissolve the peaceful protest by force, resorting to gunfire and tear gas, resulting in injuries to two passengers. He alleged that Levies personnel also mistreated women and assaulted youth.

Fateh urged the residents of the Zehri region to join the sit-in in large numbers to counter the "excesses" of the Khuzdar administration.