Baloch human rights defender Mir Yar Baloch on Friday, 1 May strongly condemned Pakistan's remarks over a recent protest at Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi, dismissing them as "smear propaganda" and accusing Islamabad of suppressing education and civil liberties in Balochistan. His remarks came in direct response to comments made by Pakistani Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi during a weekly media briefing in Islamabad on Thursday.

Background: What Triggered the Reaction

During the Islamabad briefing, spokesperson Tahir Andrabi had commented on a protest that took place at Jamia Millia Islamia earlier in the week during an event associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Mir Yar Baloch swiftly pushed back, arguing that Pakistan — a country he accused of shutting down educational opportunities for Baloch students — has no standing to lecture India, where students can access institutions and exercise democratic rights, including open criticism and dialogue.

What Mir Yar Baloch Said

"India gives books to students; Pakistan detains books along with students of Balochistan. India allows students to study; you (Pakistan) have shut down our institutions in Balochistan," Mir Yar Baloch wrote on X (formerly Twitter), sharing a video he said exposed Pakistan's "double-faced reality."

He alleged that Pakistani forces have banned books and prohibited Baloch literature in book stalls and on campuses. A second video he posted purportedly showed Pakistan's intelligence agencies, military, and civil authorities seizing books. He further claimed that Baloch students are barred from reading in educational institutions and that Pakistani police have been arresting students across campuses in the province.

Grave Allegations of Rights Violations

The activist levelled several serious allegations against the Pakistani state. He claimed that in 2019, hidden cameras were secretly installed in the washrooms of Baloch female students at Balochistan University, allegedly resulting in thousands of recordings made under the supervision of the Pakistani military and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), which were then reportedly used for blackmail. He described the incident as "a grave violation of dignity and human rights."

Mir Yar Baloch further accused Pakistani authorities of arbitrarily detaining Baloch students and youth, with thousands allegedly imprisoned and subjected to severe torture in detention centres. He claimed many had lost their lives, leaving behind what he described as "grieving families and a climate of fear."

"While criminal networks and drug mafias seem to operate with relative freedom, any Baloch individual seen holding a pen or raising their voice is swiftly targeted. They are detained, forcibly silenced, or even killed, reflecting a deeply unequal and repressive system," he stated.

Pakistan's Cross-Border Actions Under Scrutiny

Raising alarm beyond Balochistan's borders, Mir Yar Baloch also highlighted what he described as Pakistani missile strikes in Afghanistan's Kunar province, which he alleged targeted Sayed Jamaluddin University, killing and injuring several students. He said the strikes further intensified existing humanitarian concerns in the region.

As international scrutiny of Pakistan's treatment of Baloch civilians grows, Mir's latest intervention adds to a mounting body of testimony that human rights organisations and foreign governments are increasingly being called upon to examine.