<\/p>\n
Baloch protesters on Tuesday called for a shutterdown demonstration across the country tomorrow (January 3), saying that state officials were trying to label the Baloch long march and sit-in in Islamabad as \u201cpropaganda\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe state has consistently shown a half-hearted and uncommitted concern regarding our demands from the beginning,\u201d the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, organiser of the protest demanding an end to enforced disappearances and extra-judicial killings in Balochistan, said in a social media post.<\/p>\n
\u201cHence, on Jan 3, we are calling for a shutterdown demonstration across Pakistan. We urge people from all walks of life to advocate and respect our call for the shutterdown strike in the name of humanity and the Baloch nation, aiming to preserve our identity,\u201d it added.<\/p>\n
Baloch protesters, who have been camping outside the National Press Club for over a week now, had on December 28 given the government a seven-day ultimatum<\/a> to fulfil their demands which include the release of all protesters detained during police action, detailed investigation into rights violations in Balochistan, elimination of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, release of all victims of enforced disappearances, restrictions on the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and elimination of \u201cstate-sponsored death squads\u201d.<\/p>\n In a video message shared on social media today, Dr Mahrang Baloch, one of the protest organisers, said the protest march had begun after a Baloch youth was allegedly killed<\/a> in custody by the CTD.<\/p>\n \u201cOur movement is against the decade-long enforced disappearances and murders of innocent citizens in Balochistan,\u201d she said, adding that all the residents of the province supported the protest.<\/p>\n Dr Mahrang recalled that the Islamabad police had used force to \u201csabotage\u201d the long march and numerous \u201cfake\u201d first information reports had been registered against protesters across the country. \u201cWe have been repeatedly told by the administration they are not ready to work on their policy of Baloch genocide,\u201d she claimed.<\/p>\n She said that over 20 Baloch youths have been forcibly disappeared \u201conce again\u201d. Dr Mahrang demanded that all the Baloch people languishing in illegal custody should be presented before courts and given a right to a fair trial.<\/p>\n Further, she urged the nation to support the Baloch people and their call for the shutter-down strike tomorrow.<\/p>\n