Amid the ongoing Baloch protest in Islamabad, the Balochistan government has taken action by suspending 44 government employees in Turbat and Kohlu, including some officers, for their alleged involvement in and facilitation of a protest sit-in and rally against the reported killing of Balaach Mola Bakhsh, as reported by Dawn.
The commissioner of Makran Division officially notified the suspension of 30 government employees from various departments in Turbat. This decision was made during a recent meeting of the district intelligence coordination committee, where these officers were identified as providing support to the participants of the anti-government sit-in and protest rally.
According to the notification, the commissioner suspended 30 employees ranging from grade 1 to 15, while disciplinary action has been initiated against officials of grade 16 and above through letters to the secretaries of concerned departments. Additionally, 14 government employees in the Kohlu district were suspended for participating in the sit-in and supporting the long march participants when it reached Kohlu in December.
The action against these government employees was taken under the Balochistan Employees Efficiency and Discipline (BEEDA) Act, 2011, with most of the employees facing disciplinary action belonging to the education department, serving as teachers in various schools.
The long march, initiated in Turbat after the extrajudicial killing of Balaach Baloch and three others in a fake encounter by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), saw the bodies handed over to the families. However, Balaach’s family refused to accept the body and initiated protests, demanding the registration of an FIR, which the police declined. The protests escalated into a long march, led by the Baloch Yakjahti Committee – Kech, demanding an end to Baloch genocide.
On December 31, Baloch activist Fazila Baloch shared a video depicting the emotional plea of Balaach Baloch’s sister, who accused the CTD of staging the encounter. The video showed the grieving sister questioning the alleged crime of her brother and expressing her sorrow. Meanwhile, Mahrang Baloch, a prominent face of the Baloch movement, pledged to continue the ongoing protest, emphasizing their readiness to make sacrifices for their cause.
In response to alleged state restrictions, protesters claimed that the administration was prohibiting essential supplies such as food, tents, sound systems, and other facilities at the protest site in the cold weather.