Baloch Students Council alleges harassment and profiling at Punjab University

Quetta [Balochistan], April 22 (ANI): The Baloch Students Council Punjab has raised significant alarm regarding the ongoing harassment, profiling, and coerced removal of Baloch students from hostels at Punjab University in Lahore.

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As reported by The Balochistan Post (TBP), the Council denounced what it described as a systematic effort to isolate and marginalize Baloch students within academic settings.

A spokesperson for the Council indicated that these actions represent a larger state-sponsored initiative to obstruct educational access for Baloch youth and are aimed at discouraging their academic pursuits. The spokesperson further explained that what initially started as a crackdown and wave of enforced disappearances in Balochistan has now reached educational institutions in Punjab, as per TBP's report.

"When Baloch students flee repression in their native province and arrive in Punjab in search of better educational opportunities, they face discrimination and daily humiliation," the spokesperson stated in the TBP report.

The statement pointed out that disguised as a "disciplinary committee," intelligence agencies have been granted unchecked authority within the university. Reports indicate that agents intercept students on campus, invade classrooms and departments, and deliver threats, cautioning students against engaging in political activities. "The university now resembles a military barracks more than an educational institution," the Council commented.

In addition, Baloch students are reportedly being pressured to produce video statements praising the university administration. Those who refuse risk expulsion from hostels, fostering an atmosphere of fear intended to push them away from education entirely.

The Council also observed a concerning pattern of unauthorized individuals questioning Baloch students about their political beliefs and affiliations. The circumstances for Baloch female students were described as even more troubling.

The statement alleged that they are frequently targeted based on their language and traditional attire, and if seen together in groups, they receive warning letters from university authorities, as highlighted by TBP.

The Baloch Students Council urged all student organizations, civil society entities, and human rights bodies to speak out against these serious and alarming trends. "Denying Baloch students their right to education is an intolerable act that demands strong condemnation," the spokesperson concluded. (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)