Clash of narratives at Islamabad’s National Press Club as parallel camps set up
• BSF speakers seek judicial probe into killings by banned outfits in Balochistan
• Dr Mahrang set to call for another nationwide strike
ISLAMABAD: The National Press Club (NPC) remains a focal point for the ongoing protests for the rights of Balochistan, with two separate camps witnessing a steady influx of visitors.
However, while the crowd at one of the camps, organised by the Balochistan Shuhada Forum (BSF), has decreased, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) camp sees a growing number of families joining in.
Abdullah Gul, the chairman of Tehreek-i-Jawanan Pakistan/Kashmir, visited the BSF camp on Tuesday, led by former caretaker minister Nawabzada Jamal Raisani.
During his visit, Mr Gul highlighted the involvement of India’s foreign intelligence agency RAW in terror activities in Balochistan.
Mr Raisani, also contesting for a National Assembly seat from Quetta, emphasised the need for the government to acknowledge and financially support victims of terrorism and targeted killings in Balochistan.
The government needed to listen to the voice of the martyrs of Balochistan, both the civilians and those belonging to law enforcement agencies and armed forces, he said and hinted at a conspiracy to create internal conflicts within Balochistan.
“The state should at least extend financial help to the victims of terrorism and target killings,” Mr Raisani told Dawn. “The missing person issue was a genuine problem of Balochistan, but we demand that they should condemn the terror acts by Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), Balochistan Liberation Force (BLF), Baloch Republican Army (BRA), Majeed Brigade, etc.”
Mr Raisani’s father, Nawabzada Siraj Raisani, was assassinated in a 2018 suicide attack during the election campaign.
At the same time, speakers at the BSF camp called for a judicial commission to investigate the killings by banned outfits. They accused the rival BYC camp of being fraudulent and supporting anti-state elements.
The names of Baloch National Army (BNA) commanders Gulzar Imam Shambe and Sarfraz Ahmed Bungulzai, who earlier admitted to receiving funding from India, were also mentioned in the speeches.
BYC camp
On the other hand, the BYC camp, which has been established since Dec 22, continued to attract more participants despite harsh weather and pressure from law enforcement agencies.
The camp’s organisers, demanding information on missing persons, welcomed 12 new family members, mostly women, on Monday and Tuesday.
Dr Mahrang Baloch, a leader of BYC, told the media that her camp welcomed the BSF protesters and said they, too, were demanding the authorities to act and improve the law and order situation in Balochistan.
“This is what we have been demanding that the law and the system of the country should prevail in Balochistan, too,” she said.
“There has only been one accusation on us that we do not condemn violence by BLA. We have done it several times and say it here as well.”
Referring to the BSF camp, she said that those referring to the surrender of some people should understand that any news conference was not enough, and the surrendering people should have to be presented in a court of law.
Dr Mahrang, possibly encouraged by the response to previous strike calls, said the BYC would soon announce plans for a nationwide strike to demand transparency regarding the details of missing persons.
Published in Dawn, January 10th, 2024
