Thread by @KiyyaBaloch

#Thread_ #Balochistan and #SLF.
The State has a history of censoring intellectual debates on #Balochistan. Authorities used to stop student unions from holding discussions, political circles, and debates inside Balochistan.

They would disappear and torture student leaders, journalists, and writers only speaking on issues related to Balochistan. Even the authorities would close the schools, colleges, and institutions for holding talks and political debates on Balochistan inside Balochistan.

Secular voices and politicians have been blackmailed or countered with unknown faces like Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and hardcore religious fanatics.

Intelligence agencies have been so effective at intimidating and controlling information. In recent years, the authoritarian government has expanded its tactics calling-off discussion outside Balochistan, ex, inside Pakistan's top universities.

Everybody saw what happened inside LUMS in 2015. The same happened at Karachi University in 2015. Sabeen was silenced. Professor Hassan Arif was found dead in a car days after attending a dialogue on Balochistan. There are dozens of stories of

killings, political victimization, tortures, arbitrary arrests, and disappearances. The State has set a clear cut line on Balochistan. Anyone who contradicts the State's line on Balochistan's political issues, such as enforced disappearances, fake encounters,

State-backed militancy, #QuettaShura, corruption, and misuse of power by army officers, would pay a heavy price for that. The State would be offended and can do anything to change how the intellectual talks about #Baloch and Balochistan.

They can terrify #SLF2021 organizers, expel professors from their respective institutions, stop ads to newspapers and intimidate journalists. But how can they stop social media and people with smartphones from recording their atrocities? The State is making a big mistake.

Dozens of Baloch Professors, writers, poets, and intellectuals ve' been interrogated, harassed, disappeared, and killed. Saba Dashtyari is among many academicians killed in 2011 to speak his mind & Prof Hassan Janan disappeared. Such actions endanger intellectual freedom.

The academicians, activists & politicians should unite and denounce these actions. These are devastating blow to freedom of speech. There has never been freedom of speech in Balochistan & instead, restricted speech. But there has been little or more elsewhere, which is shrinking.