In a dramatic escalation of tensions in Balochistan, Pakistani authorities arrested leading Baloch rights activist Mahrang Baloch and 17 other protesters during a pre-dawn raid on Saturday. The arrests followed a sit-in outside the University of Balochistan, where demonstrators demanded the release of allegedly detained support group members.
Police confirmed that 10 males and 7 females were rounded up along with a Balochi, a prominent human rights defender in Pakistan (Pak) –one of the country’s most vocal for that matter—
“A senior police official said the details of what charges to be filed vis-a-vis them was already under consideration.” AFP quoted police anonymously. 
Baloch Yakjehti Committee a Baloch backed support group slammed the violent crackdown of their rights; it called it “brutal” and accused the security forces of excessive brutality.
It was a violent encounter, with three of the protesters killed—both sides were to blame.
The military began its latest crackdown immediately after a deadly passenger train bombing by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) killed some 60 people. Blamed for robbing Balochistan of its natural resources and marginalising local demands, the government and many separatist groups accuses the BLA,
Rebels who faced immediate arrest by human rights organizations. AFP: Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has called on the armed forces to refrain from violent action against peaceful protesters and demanded that those arrested be immediately released.
TIME100 Next honoree Mahrang Baloch from Balochistan started her activism because of disappearance and murder of her father (The man who drives for this last years does Baloch rights)
