Students of the University of Balochistan sub-campus staged a protest in Mastung district, Balochistan, on 21 May, blocking a national highway to demand laptops under Pakistan's Prime Minister's Youth Laptop Scheme and the restoration of internet services disrupted for an extended period in the region. The demonstration brought traffic on the highway to a standstill for several hours, according to local media reports.

Key Developments

A large number of students gathered outside Mastung's Degree College before marching to the national highway, where they blocked vehicular movement, causing long queues of vehicles in both directions. Protesters said they had completed all required formalities and documentation under the government's youth laptop scheme several months ago but had yet to receive the devices. They accused the authorities of deliberate delaying tactics that were hampering their academic progress.

The students also raised sharp objections over the prolonged internet shutdown in Mastung and surrounding areas, arguing that the disruption had severely affected online classes, research work, and assignment submissions. They accused the relevant authorities of failing to treat the issue with urgency.

What the Students Demanded

Protesters raised slogans against the government and demanded the immediate distribution of laptops under the scheme and the swift restoration of internet connectivity in Mastung. They warned that the protest would be escalated if their demands were not addressed without delay.

Broader Crisis in Balochistan's Academic Sector

The protest comes against the backdrop of a deepening crisis in Balochistan's university system. Earlier in the week, leaders of the Academic Staff Association of the University of Balochistan and the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (Fapuasa), Balochistan chapter, issued a joint statement expressing serious concern over the non-recovery of top officials of Gwadar University.

According to reports, Vice Chancellor Abdul Razzaq Sabir, Pro-Vice Chancellor Syed Manzoor Ahmed, lecturer Irshad Ahmed, and their staff members were abducted from a highway in Mastung district while travelling to Quetta. The joint statement noted that the kidnapped officials had not been recovered even after several days, causing widespread anxiety among faculty and students across Balochistan's universities.

The statement also flagged a pattern of targeted violence against academics in the region. According to the joint statement, Professor Dilawar Khan of the Khuzdar campus of the University of Balochistan and Professor Ghamkhwar Hayat were reportedly killed recently. Academic staff leaders noted that several teachers had been repeatedly attacked, and many faculty members had been killed or forcibly disappeared in the past.

What Happens Next

Students have warned of an intensified protest movement if the authorities do not act immediately on both the laptop distribution and the internet restoration demands. The unresolved kidnapping of Gwadar University's top officials adds a layer of institutional paralysis to an academic sector already strained by infrastructure gaps and security concerns. The situation in Mastung is being closely watched by university bodies across Balochistan.