Islamabad, Pakistan – Tensions have escalated in the port city of Gwadar, located in the southwestern Balochistan province, where an ethnic Baloch group is currently protesting following the arrests of several members and fatal clashes with security forces. Gwadar is Pakistan’s only deep-sea port along the Arabian Sea and plays a central role in the $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The protests intensified on Friday after the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) called for demonstrations against alleged human rights violations, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings of individuals in Balochistan, which is Pakistan’s largest and poorest province. According to the latest census in 2023, Balochistan has approximately 15 million inhabitants out of Pakistan’s total population of 240 million. The region is rich in natural resources, including oil, coal, gold, copper, and gas, contributing significantly to the federal government’s revenue.

The ethnic Baloch claim that the Pakistani state has neglected their communities and exploited the province’s mineral resources. This discontent has fueled separatist sentiments, leading to numerous insurgent movements since Pakistan’s establishment in 1947, with the latest wave beginning in the early 2000s, demanding a larger share of the province’s resources and even full independence.

Pakistani security forces have launched a harsh crackdown on insurgents, resulting in thousands of deaths over the past two decades. As Gwadar is economically significant, the area has become a hotspot for violence from armed and separatist groups, highlighted in March this year when eight individuals attempted to breach the Gwadar Port Authority complex before being killed by security forces.

On Sunday, BYC called for a “Baloch Rajee Muchi” or Baloch National Gathering in Gwadar. As convoys from different parts of the province made their way to the city, law enforcement began blocking major highways, leading to clashes in various locations. The BYC claims that security forces opened fire during such a clash on Saturday in the Mastung district, resulting in one death and several injuries.

On Monday, the Pakistani military stated that one of their soldiers had also been killed in “unprovoked attacks from a violent crowd,” and 16 other soldiers were injured. Dozens of Baloch individuals were arrested by security forces during the clashes, and mobile and internet services were suspended in Gwadar for the fifth consecutive day on Wednesday.

The BYC reports that two of their prominent leaders, Sammi Deen Baloch and Sabiha Baloch, were arrested by authorities in Gwadar on Monday, and their whereabouts are unknown. Angry protesters have also gathered in other cities of the province, including the provincial capital Quetta, Kech, and Mastung, demanding their release.

BYC leader Mahrang Baloch expressed two main demands on Sunday evening: the opening of highways so Baloch protesters can reach Gwadar, and the release of numerous members who have been detained by law enforcement since last week. In her address to a gathering of hundreds in Gwadar that evening, Mahrang stated, “The people of Gwadar have come in large numbers to resist ‘state oppression’. The state and its institutions have attempted to prevent us from holding this assembly by blocking highways and arresting our people, but today all of Gwadar is here to send a message: we will not tolerate further oppression of the Baloch nation.”

BYC member Sadia Baloch told Al Jazeera from Quetta on Tuesday that they will continue to protest until all arrested individuals are released. “We have thousands of people protesting all over Balochistan, who were stopped by authorities from traveling to Gwadar,” she stated. “Sammi and Sabiha were taken from a sit-in, and we do not know where they are. No one from the local authorities is providing any answers.”

While there has been no response from local authorities and government representatives in Gwadar and Quetta, Balochistan’s Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti criticized the protests on Monday. “We offered them space to hold a rally elsewhere, but they refused and remained stubborn in holding it in Gwadar. The purpose of this chaos is to sabotage all development and progress that the province has seen,” he said.

While recognizing citizens’ right to assemble, Bugti emphasized that they should not have “intentions to disturb peace and order.” Amnesty International accused authorities on Tuesday of attempting to “silence and criminalize peaceful demonstrators.” “Whenever Baloch protests occur, their demands are met with violence from security forces and mass arrests,” it stated in a release.

Amnesty International demands that “the repeated acts of repression” against Baloch protests cease, and that all detainees be released immediately and unconditionally. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) also criticized the “unnecessary” use of force against Baloch demonstrators and the suspension of internet and mobile services. “They should form a higher parliamentary delegation to meet with Baloch representatives and closely listen to their demands,” they stated in a release.