Islamabad: Amidst ongoing Baloch protests exceeding 50 days, an armed rally unfolded on Saturday, featuring masked individuals in unregistered vehicles brandishing weapons, reported Balochistan Post.
The participants proudly displayed Pakistan’s flags, voicing solidarity with a parallel state-sponsored camp in Islamabad led by Jamal Raisani. This rally is seen as a response to counter the movement protesting the alleged ‘Baloch genocide’.
Residents identified the leader of the rally as Dilawar, a key figure in the alleged state-sponsored armed groups commonly referred to as ‘death squads’.
Contrasting the apparent state leniency towards this armed rally with the stringent actions against peaceful Baloch protesters, locals express concern over the disparate treatment.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) asserts that their protests aim to dismantle these alleged death squads. However, they claim that instead of addressing the root issues, the state is mobilizing these groups to intimidate their movement’s supporters.
The contentious issue of “death squads” in Balochistan has long been a point of contention, with Baloch residents and nationalist circles accusing the Pakistani army and intelligence agencies of involvement.
These groups are allegedly involved in criminal activities, including forced disappearances, murders of Baloch political activists, theft, robbery, kidnapping for ransom, and drug trafficking, reportedly operating with impunity under the state’s umbrella to counter the Baloch insurgency, according to Balochistan Post.
Recent investigations by the Balochistan Post into the leaders of the ‘state-sponsored counter-protest in Islamabad’ revealed evidence linking individuals to the leadership or membership of these ‘death squads’ in Balochistan. Prominent figures included Fareed Raisani, Zahid M. Hasni, Khalid Yaqoob, and Zulfiqar M Hasni.
Despite protests and outcry in Balochistan, these squads persist with state support, as highlighted by recent events in Turbat and Islamabad.
Last week, alleged members of “state-sponsored death squads” organized a camp outside the National Press Club in Islamabad while Baloch protesters peacefully demonstrated against the “Baloch Genocide”, reported Balochistan Post. This counter-protest, reportedly backed by the Balochistan government with suspected directives from Pakistan’s security agencies, poses a potential threat to the ongoing peaceful Baloch protest and raises serious concerns about possible disruptions.
