Pakistan: Protests continue in Balochistan after kidnapping of 10-year-old boy

Pakistan: As demonstrations broke out over the abduction of a 10-year-old child in Quetta, Balochistan saw a total closure on Monday, highlighting Pakistan’s governance shortcomings and incapacity to maintain basic security once again. Political parties, businesspeople, and members of civic society organized a road blockage that caused chaos across the province by stopping transit, courts, and schools.

Dawn claims that the youngster, a jeweler’s son, was kidnapped on November 15 when armed men stopped his school bus close to Patel Bagh. The public is outraged because law enforcement has not made any headway in retrieving him after ten days have passed. The province’s colleges and institutions remained closed, and the absence of judges prevented the Balochistan High Court from operating, interfering with proceedings, including those pertaining to the kidnapping.

Major roads that link Balochistan to Sindh, Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were stopped by the demonstrators using rocks and barricades. Railway services, including the Quetta-Chaman passenger train, were halted, and cars were kept off the road in Quetta. Transporters around the province stopped operations in support of the strike, according to Dawn.

The provincial administration and security forces came under heavy fire from opposition MPs in the Balochistan Assembly for failing to see to the boy’s recovery. Along with other protest leaders, Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party leader Nasarullah Zerey urged for further protests until the youngster is returned safely.

Speaking to reporters, Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti said that every resource at his disposal was being utilized to settle the matter, but his claims were viewed with suspicion. The public’s dissatisfaction with the deteriorating law and order situation in resource-rich but underserved Balochistan is highlighted by the increasing unrest.

The strike, as Dawn pointed out, paralyzed provincial life and revealed the state’s incapacity to handle growing security concerns. The tragedy calls into doubt Pakistan’s objectives, especially its emphasis on political maneuvering above public safety, even if there have been significant security deployments to avert bloodshed.

Although there was no violence during the demonstrations, the structural shortcomings in handling such situations are still evident. The gap between the province and the federal government is becoming wider for the people of Balochistan as a result of Islamabad’s disregard.