Baloch Activist Rejects Pakistan’s Allegation of Radicalisation Through Poetry

Balochistan [Pakistan]: The chief minister of Balochistan, who claimed that Balochi poetry was being used to radicalise young people in the region, has come under fire from Baloch activist Sammi Deen Baloch.

Baloch activist believe

Activists believe that the growing frustration among Baloch young is the result of years of official repression and problematic policies, rather than literature.

The chief minister made the statement at a session of the Balochistan Assembly, claiming that certain Balochi poems encouraged young people to join militant groups. The words sparked immediate criticism from activists and political figures, who claimed the administration was seeking to divert attention away from more serious challenges plaguing the province, according to The Balochistan Post.

According to The Balochistan Post

According to The Balochistan Post, Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) head Sammi Deen Baloch responded to the comments by saying that authorities in Balochistan should assess their policies rather than blame poetry and literature for youth unrest.

She noted that the resentment among Baloch youth stems mostly from long-standing complaints, such as enforced disappearances, limits on civil liberties, and continuing security operations.

In a mocking response to the chief minister’s words, she stated that if poetry genuinely had the capacity to radicalise youth, institutes supporting the Balochi language should be closely watched and books removed.

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She stated that books promote critical thinking, and that authorities frequently view “thinking youth” as a threat. She went on to say that, by the same logic, libraries should be shuttered and Baloch students removed from universities and colleges since education encourages young people to challenge government policies and narratives.

She also denounced what she saw as systematic efforts to muzzle criticism in the province. She cited restrictions on migration, limited work possibilities, and internet shutdowns as methods that keep people from experiencing what she called official repression in Balochistan.

She also addressed the subject of enforced disappearances, alleging that many Baloch people are detained for years and then denied by official reports, as reported by The Balochistan Post.

She criticised the government of relying on bans, limitations, and brutality rather than addressing the core causes of mistrust among the Baloch people.

Referring to recent developments, she noted allegations from Panjgur that 22 young men were purportedly killed in suspected extrajudicial operations during the last twenty days.

According to The Balochistan Post, Baloch youth are turning against the state not because of poetry or books, but because of decades of repression, slaughter, and policies that discourage dissent in the region.