Implementation of govt-BYC accord begins

QUETTA: Implementation of an agreement between the government of Balochistan and the Baloch Yakjheti Committee (BYC) has begun.

The protests on various roads and national highways in the province have ended, but symbolic protests continue on Gwadar and Quetta’s Saryab Road. Traffic has been restored after the removal of containers and barbed wire from Quetta’s Red Zone.

Details indicate that a seven-point agreement was reached Thursday night between the government of Balochistan and BYC, with signatures from Deputy Commissioner Gwadar Hamood-ur-Rahman and BYC’s Central Organizer Dr Mahrang Baloch.

According to the agreement, arrested individuals in Balochistan and Karachi in connection with the Raji Muchi protests will be released before the end of the protests, and those sent on judicial remand will be released by August 15, 2024, after judicial proceedings.

The Balochistan provincial government will contact the Sindh government on arrested individuals in Sindh to ensure their release. All FIRs and registered cases will be dismissed, except for those involving casualties. All roads and highways will be opened to traffic as soon as the sit-in ends. The network and internet services will begin to be restored within 2 to 3 hours after the end of the sit-in. All items in government custody will be returned within one hour, and a committee comprising the administration and BYC will be formed for this purpose.

No citizen will be harassed or targeted for any actions taken during the protests, and no FIRs related to Raji Muchi will be filed. FIRs will be filed regarding the injuries and casualties during the protests and sit-ins.

As per official reports, the implementation of the agreement began on Friday, leading to the release of 77 individuals detained in Gwadar. A notification from the Home Department was also issued directing the IG police and all deputy commissioners to release all the individuals arrested since July 24 under 3MPO. The sit-in in Gwadar by BYC continues. Committee leaders stated that the protest will continue until the agreement is fully implemented.

However, businesses in various areas of Gwadar have started reopening. In Hub, the district administration has reopened the Quetta-Karachi Road from Hub Bypass Chowk for traffic, restoring traffic flow on the Quetta-Karachi Highway. Similarly, the Quetta-Taftan Highway has also been opened for traffic. Roads like Gahi Khan Chowk, Sabzal Road and others, which were blocked by protesters on Friday morning, have also been reopened by the evening. However, the protest continues in front of Balochistan University on Saryab Road. Containers and barbed wire installed around Quetta’s Red Zone a week ago have been removed, and traffic has been restored on all roads leading to the Red Zone.

“There is no full implementation of the agreement, and the government is not showing seriousness. In addition to Gwadar, protesters are not being released across the province and over 250 FIRs have been registered in Nushki, and raids are being conducted in Karachi,” said Dr Mahrang Baloch and Sammi Deen Baloch.