Clashes Erupt as Baloch Yakjehti Committee Protests in Quetta’s Saryab Road

QUETTA: Tensions escalated on Saryab Road in Quetta as the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) continued its protest against the alleged illegal detention of their members and the refusal of their families to view their deceased loved ones at the Civil Hospital.

Protesters blocked the road by setting tires on fire, which led to a violent confrontation with police forces. Reports indicate the police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd. The Baloch Yakjehti Committee claimed that police fired upon the protesters, resulting in three deaths and seven injuries.

Following the incident, the protesters placed the bodies on the road, staging a sit-in. They also called for a province-wide shutter-down and wheel-jam strike in protest. In response to the unrest, mobile phone services and internet connectivity were suspended in Quetta, while authorities blocked access to the Red Zone by placing containers on key routes.

The spokesperson for the Balochistan government, Shahid Rand, criticized the protest, stating that the closure of the national highway caused immense inconvenience to travelers, including those coming from Karachi and other cities. He added that the police took action in accordance with the law to reopen the road, but protesters responded with violence, including stone-throwing, which led to the injury of 10 individuals, including female police constables.

Rand further stated that the exact cause of the deaths would be determined only after the bodies were properly examined at the hospital. He warned that any further disruption to law and order would not be tolerated, as maintaining public safety was the government’s constitutional responsibility.