Mahrang Baloch alleges internet shutdown to hinder Baloch protest
The flood has now created a life-threatening problem for the locals of these areas
Visual of the Baloch protest in Pakistan's Gwadar (Photo: X @MahrangBaloch_)
GWADAR (Pakistan): Prominent Baloch rights activist Mahrang Baloch on Sunday alleged that an internet shutdown has been carried out in Gwadar to disrupt the Baloch protest and awareness session highlighting Pakistan's atrocities on the Baloch community.
Taking to X, Mahrang Baloch stated "Internet has been blocked in Gwadar today after using all tactics to thwart the program of Baloch Solidarity Committee. Despite all these tactics and conspiracies, the program of Baloch Solidarity Committee is going on, we request people to participate in this awareness campaign in large numbers today to thwart all conspiracies of the state".
The session titled 'Gwadar's Reality: Unearthing Ecocide, Indigenous Narratives and Uniting Baloch for Survival' highlighted Pakistan's "hollow claims" of development in Gwadar.
گوادر میں آج بلوچ یکجہتی کمیٹی کے پروگرام کو ناکام بنانے کے لئے تمام تر حربے استعمال کرنے کے بعد انٹرنیٹ کو بند کردیا گیا ہے۔
— Mahrang Baloch (@MahrangBaloch_) March 10, 2024
ان تمام تر ہتھکنڈوں اور سازشوں کے باوجود بلوچ یکجہتی کمیٹی کا پروگرام جاری ہے، ہم عوام سے گزارش کرتے ہیں کہ وہ بھر پور تعداد میں اس آج کے اس آگاہی مہم… pic.twitter.com/8FoOzVVVkj
Baloch rights activist organisation, Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) reported that several post-flood relief camps in locations like Javed Complex, Moondra Chowk, Main Bazar, and RCD Road, were hit by Pakistan's law enforcement. In a social media post, the BYC stated, "After taking away all the tents of the Gwadar relief camp in front of Javed Complex, Assistant Commissioner Gwadar has now come and is threatening the BYC campaigners to vacate the place and cancel the Awareness Session to be held tomorrow".
After taking away all the tents of the Gwadar relief camp in front of Javed Complex, Assistant Commissioner Gwadar has now come and is threatening the BYC campaigners to vacate the place and cancel the Awareness Session to be held tomorrow.#BalochUniteForSurvival pic.twitter.com/qy4Mt4eecC
— Baloch Yakjehti Committee (@BalochYakjehtiC) March 9, 2024
"In Hub Chowki, when BYC had organized a flood relief camp at Moondra Chowk, Main Bazar, RCD Road, police used force on peaceful campaigners and tortured the volunteers. Forcefully, they eliminated the camp and threatened the volunteers not to organize any such relief camp," the Baloch organisation stated in another post.
Earlier, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee had organised a press conference exposing the real condition of Gwadar and the flood situation that the people of the city have been suffering from. Maharang Baloch, during the press conference, stated that BYC had surveyed the port city, including areas like, Gwadar Old City, Pishukan, Dagaro, Passo, Jiwani, Paleri, and other areas for five days. She further stated that, according to their survey, these areas are especially affected by the floods.
The flood has now created a life-threatening problem for the locals of these areas. "Several people in these areas are now facing survival problems and are forced to live their lives under the open sky, and Paleri is the most affected area currently. Several people belonging to the areas of Jiwani, Paleri and Pishukan are forced to live under the open sky and the local fishermen community has suffered extreme financial losses, as fishing is now impossible in Gwadar for local fishermen, which has been the source of income for this community for hundreds of years," Mahrang Baloch stated.
"The water after these floods has entered the civilian areas, because of which relief, food, and drinking water supplies are not reaching these areas. The people living in these areas are now forced to drink the flood water" she added.
The Baloch activist further highlighted the failure of the Pakistani weather department which failed ot provide the critical information on time leading to massive destruction. "The flood that has hit Gwadar this time is not at all natural but is a result of wrong policy formation and infrastructure development.
Additionally, this flood is also the fault of the weather department of the area, as they had failed to provide this critical information to the locals on time. After witnessing the condition of life in Gwadar, it can be deduced that only the sea is important for the government in Gwadar and not the people," Baloch further said.
