Indigenous Baloch people protest against forced eviction by Pak army

Kech [Pakistan], November 2 (ANI): The indigenous Baloch of Meher in Mand area of Kech in Pakistan's Balochistan province have staged a protest and blocked the main road against forced eviction from their native homes by the Armed Forces, particularly Frontier Corps, a statement by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee stated.
According to the protesters, Pakistani forces have issued an ultimatum to vacate their homes in Mand, Meher so a new military camp can be constructed in the area. Locals report that this is not an isolated incident; they allege that forces have previously occupied parts of their region, setting up camps and forcibly displacing families from their native lands, as per the statement.
Residents of Meher area are firm in their resolve to resist and would not abandon their ancestral homes. They declared that they would neither abandon their homes nor allow any new camp to be built on their land, as it threatens their security, property, socio-cultural norms and way of life, the statement read.

The indigenous Baloch of Meher in Mand area of Kech have staged a protest and blocked the main road against forced eviction from their native homes by the Armed Forces, particularly FC. According to the protesters, Pakistani forces have issued an ultimatum to vacate their homes… pic.twitter.com/Jasz9T2bWQ

— Baloch Yakjehti Committee (@BalochYakjehtiC) November 2, 2024

As per the statement, Baloch Yakjehti Committee stands in solidarity with the people of Meher and urge the Baloch nation to unite in this struggle. Occupying native lands under the pretext of security is a common practice in Balochistan, which has forced many to live as displaced people and refugees.
Forced displacement of indigenous Baloch population is a tool of genocide perpetrated by the State. The global community and Human Rights Organizations must take notice of this militarization, violence and abuse of fundamental rights in Balochistan, the statement added.
Earlier in the day, Mahrang Baloch, a prominent Baloch human rights activist, expressed her deep concern and outrage over an explosion near a school in Matsung. Mahrang also stated that ten Baloch students were forcibly disappeared from Islamabad.
She said that the two incidents that happened on Friday underscore the hardships faced by Baloch community.
In a post on X, she said, "Today's tragic incident in Mastung has deeply saddened me, and my heartfelt sympathies go out to the families of the children and others who lost their lives. In this difficult time, we stand in solidarity with them. This morning's explosion near a school in Mastung, which claimed the lives of innocent school children and others, has shaken us to the core. The state and its death squads have mercilessly turned Balochistan into a slaughterhouse."
"Meanwhile, last night, ten Baloch students were forcibly disappeared from Islamabad. The alarming surge in enforced disappearances of Baloch students continues unabated, with dozens falling victim to this brutal practice in just the past month. The two dangerous incidents in a single day vividly underscore the ongoing pain, suffering, and hardship endured by Baloch society. The systematic policy of the Baloch genocide has placed the community in extremely perilous conditions. These two incidents reflect grave human rights violations and the broader context of the ongoing Baloch genocide, highlighting the severe oppression and brutality under which the Baloch community is forced to live," she added. (ANI)