The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) has criticized Pakistan’s military media wing for allegedly attempting to justify enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. The committee labeled the Inter-Services Public Relations’ (ISPR) recent press conference as a deliberate move to legitimize state repression in Balochistan. According to the BYC, the ISPR Director General’s statements reaffirmed the unchanged state policies in Balochistan, with state institutions using various narratives to defend human rights violations.
The BYC highlighted that the press conference targeted political and human rights organizations, particularly activists who have persistently spoken out against disappearances despite facing arrests, threats, and state violence. The committee expressed disappointment over the lack of new information shared during the briefing, criticizing it as a reiteration of an old narrative aimed at diverting attention from documented abuses. Moreover, the BYC spokesperson denounced the ongoing baseless allegations against the BYC and its leader, Mahrang Baloch, emphasizing the failure to substantiate any accusations by the DG ISPR.
The committee condemned the lack of critical questioning by reporters present at the press conference, stating that journalism seemed constrained and unable to pose logical inquiries. It also underscored the detrimental impact of media trials on victims and activists, causing fear and further repression in Baloch society. The BYC vowed to persist in advocating for the production of individuals before courts, asserting that no authority should declare someone a criminal through coercion.
Last week, a Pakistani court acquitted BYC’s Deputy Organiser Lala Abdul Wahab Baloch and 11 other activists after a prolonged trial. The BYC welcomed the legal relief following the prosecution’s failure to prove charges against the acquitted individuals. Despite this, the committee highlighted that several other BYC leaders, including Mahrang Baloch, remain detained, raising concerns about justice and political suppression through prolonged incarceration.
