Quetta protests flare as police detain Grand Alliance leaders

QUETTA: Police arrested senior figures of the Balochistan Grand Alliance and dozens of government employees on Wednesday as demonstrations over pay-related demands intensified for a second consecutive day in the provincial capital.

Among those taken into custody were alliance chief Professor Abdul Quddus Kakar, Dr Muhammad Akram Wardag, Khadim Bugti, Haji Yunus Kakar, Qaim Khan Kakar and Rahmatullah Zehri, along with members of the alliance’s core and organising committees, police and protest organisers said.

The arrests followed confrontations at Manan Chowk, where a large gathering of government employees had assembled, including a substantial number of women. Witnesses said tensions rose when police moved in to detain protest leaders, prompting resistance from demonstrators.

Law enforcement personnel used baton charges and other dispersal tactics to clear the area, leaving several protesters injured, according to sources at the scene.

The demonstrations are focused on the non-payment of the Disparity Reduction Allowance, demands for wage parity and other unresolved grievances raised by government employees across Balochistan.

The Grand Alliance had earlier announced a series of measures including a jail bharo campaign, a pen-down strike and the shutdown of government offices throughout the province. On Wednesday, alliance leaders accused the authorities of using force to break up what they described as a peaceful protest, alleging that women employees were also targeted during the operation.

An eyewitness said hundreds of employees were sitting at Manan Chowk when police launched what appeared to be a sudden crackdown, leading to chaos and arrests.

Footage circulating on social media showed a charged atmosphere as police detained protesters amid chanting and slogans. Alliance representatives condemned the action, describing it as an abuse of state power.

By Wednesday evening, the provincial government had not issued an official statement on the arrests. However, officials familiar with the matter said informal contacts were under way to ease tensions and explore a way forward.

The Grand Alliance warned that failure to release detained leaders and address the employees’ demands could lead to an expansion of the protest movement beyond Balochistan.

The unrest disrupted routine government functions in Quetta and several other districts, causing inconvenience to members of the public.