With tensions still high in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan Province following days of deadly protests, Amnesty International has called on authorities to end what it called a "brutal crackdown" in the restive region.
Violence erupted in the port city of Gwadar over the weekend after local activists had attempted to organize a protest against alleged human rights violations, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings of ethnic Baluchis.
As people made their way to Gwadar to join the protest, security forces began blocking major highways into the city, resulting in violent clashes, including an incident that left at least one person dead and several others injured on July 28.
SEE ALSO: Protests In Western Pakistan Turn Violent, Leaving 1 Soldier Dead, Many InjuredWith the tumult showing no signs of abating amid reports of further fatalities, Amnesty International issued a statement late on July 30 urging Islamabad "to uphold the rights to freedom of expression, access to information, movement, and peaceful assembly."
Nobel Prize-winning rights advocate Malala Yousafzai also voiced her support for the demonstrators, saying on X that "I strongly condemn the violent response against peaceful protesters."
The Pakistani military claims its soldiers have been attacked by violent mobs and that its troops are exercising restraint to avoid civilian casualties.
Many Baluchis blame Islamabad for exploiting Balochistan's vast natural resources and committing grave human rights abuses in the impoverished region, which has been the scene of a low-level insurgency and harsh government clampdowns for decades.