Several Baloch human rights activists on 28 May strongly condemned what they called 'inflammatory' remarks by Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti, who reportedly linked the province's intellectual community to the militant group Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and told those with 'no love for Pakistan' to leave the country. The remarks, made at a press conference that circulated widely on social media, have drawn sharp criticism from activists, scholars, and political leaders across the region.

What Bugti Said

In the widely shared press conference, Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti allegedly accused Balochistan's scholars and broader intellectual class of rationalising violence and providing ideological cover for the BLA. He reportedly asked those who did not support Pakistan to leave the country — remarks that critics say amount to a direct threat against academic freedom and dissent.

Activists Speak Out

Sammi Deen Baloch, a member of the human rights organisation Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), said she was 'deeply disturbed' by Bugti's conduct. In a post on X, she wrote: 'I am deeply disturbed by the conduct of Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti against the PhD holders and the broader intellectual community of Balochistan. Time and again, we are observing attempts to intimidate and silence Balochistan's critical voices, whether they are journalists, writers, activists, poets, linguists, or now PhD scholars. This pattern of threatening the intellectual class is deeply concerning and unacceptable in any democratic society.'

She further stated: 'Criticism, accountability, and questioning government performance are cornerstones of every functioning society. If a PhD scholar has written a critique or raised questions about governance, it falls within their right to free expression and academic freedom. No public office holder has the authority to threaten, intimidate, or mobilise media pressure against such voices.'

BYC Central Leader Draws Pattern

Sabiha Baloch, central leader of the BYC, accused Bugti of hypocrisy, posting on X: 'Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti, on one hand, dangles dreams before the province's youth of pursuing PhDs from Oxford and Cambridge, while on the other, he appears to be crafting a negative and inflammatory narrative against that very educated class.'

She also alleged that Bugti's past statements in the Balochistan Assembly had created a 'dangerous atmosphere' against poets and intellectuals, and that Baloch poet Gham Khar Hayat was subsequently targeted. She warned that the current remarks risked repeating that pattern against PhD scholars and the educated class.

BNM Chairman Raises Historical Parallel

Naseem Baloch, chairman of the Baloch National Movement (BNM), alleged that the remarks reflected a long-standing state policy of targeting dissenting voices. 'The threats issued by Balochistan's puppet Chief Minister, Sarfraz Bugti, against PhD scholars are nothing new. He is simply continuing the same policy that his masters have always pursued,' Naseem said, drawing a contested historical parallel to the targeting of intellectuals in Bangladesh.

This comes amid a broader pattern of reported tension between Pakistani authorities and Baloch civil society, with activists, journalists, and academics having previously raised concerns about enforced disappearances and suppression of dissent in the province. The remarks have intensified calls for accountability and the protection of academic freedom in Balochistan.