Balochistan unrest grows after fatal shooting of protester in Wadh

Balochistan [Pakistan], April 11 (ANI): A protester who sustained critical injuries during a recent demonstration in Wadh, Balochistan, has died, according to a report by the Balochistan Post.

The deceased, identified as Inayatullah, son of Majeed Lehri, was reportedly shot by Pakistani security forces during a rally organized to condemn the arrests and crackdown on leaders and members of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), the Balochistan Post reported.

The protest in Wadh, part of a wider movement across Balochistan, aimed to highlight concerns over what human rights organizations have described as a systematic effort to silence peaceful dissent. Inayatullah's death has sparked renewed criticism of the state's handling of the unrest, with political groups and rights advocates accusing authorities of resorting to violent suppression of unarmed civilians, as cited by the Balochistan Post.

This incident follows previous clashes in Quetta, where security forces allegedly fired live rounds at demonstrators protesting the detention of BYC leaders.

That confrontation left three people dead and injured over 35 others. Among the victims was a 13-year-old boy who was fatally shot in the heart. The latest fatality has further fueled anger across the province, as calls grow for accountability and justice for victims of state violence.

Recently, protest rallies were held on Wednesday in Balochistan's Khuzdar and Washuk districts in response to the ongoing crackdown on the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), including the detention of its leaders and alleged mistreatment of its members, according to the Balochistan Post. A large number of women and children took part in the Khuzdar demonstration, marching from Kund High School to the Jhalawan Complex while chanting slogans demanding an end to the state's actions against the BYC.

A similar protest occurred in Washuk, where crowds--including women, children, and elderly participants--voiced strong opposition to the arrests and called for the immediate release of detained BYC leaders, including Mahrang Baloch. (ANI)

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