<\/p>\n
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), one of the groups organising the Baloch protest march in Islamabad, on Thursday issued a seven-day ultimatum to the government to meet all its demands or the movement would put forth its case before the Baloch people.<\/p>\n
Dr Mahrang Baloch, one of the organisers of the protest that is demanding an end to enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings of their community, said in an Islamabad press conference today that the government was being given a week for negotiations on the following demands.<\/p>\n
Dr Mahrang said that a fact-finding mission hea\u00added by a UN Working Group should be sent for a detailed investigation into rights violations in Balochistan, an agreement should be signed under the auspices of the Working Group for the elimination of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, all victims of enforced disappearances should be immediately released, restrictions should be put on the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and \u201cstate-sponsored death squads\u201d should be eliminated as well.<\/p>\n
She further demanded that the Ministry of Interior should \u201cconfess\u201d to the alleged deaths of disappeared persons in fake encounters, adding that an acknowledgement letter be issued regarding this and a press conference held with the names of all victims.<\/p>\n
Dr Mahrang also said that fake cases against all peaceful protesters should be taken back.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the state does not hold sincere negotiations on the above demands and does not show seriousness and if the treatment of the past week with protesters continues then after seven days, the movement will express its disappointment with all state institutions against state policies of genocide and treating Balochistan like a colony, and put its case before the Baloch people.\u201d<\/p>\n
She added that the Baloch people would then be the ones to decide matters.<\/p>\n
Dr Mahrang said the state would have to make clear in the week to the people how serious it was about the \u201cBaloch genocide\u201d. She said the state would have to practically prove and end all human rights violations and illegal measures in Balochistan.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe decision will be in the court of the Baloch people if the state is not ready to change its colonial mindset.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the outset of her press conference, Dr Mahrang alleged that the state was exerting power over the past week to bring the Baloch sit-in to an end.<\/p>\n
Criticising the brutal treatment meted out to the protesters by the police and the administration, she remarked how the events took place in the federal capital instead of some backwater area of Balochistan.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo person should now be under any doubt or suspicion of the state violence against the Baloch.\u201d<\/p>\n