𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐢𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐢 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐞 — 𝟐𝟏 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟏𝟗𝟖𝟕 The Jiwani massacre is a tragic event in Baloch history. It is one of those dark incidents that we see repeated time and again in Balochistan. It was a cold winter day on the 21st of February 1987 when a peaceful protest rally was held by the Jiwani Zone of BSO. They were demanding clean drinking water—the only demand of the rally was water for Jiwani. Although they were peacefully protesting against the lack of drinking water, the forces deemed them a threat and opened fire on the protesters. As a result, a young child named Yasmeen, a woman named Azgul, and a man named Ghulam Nabi Baloch were killed. The Jiwani incident is not a one-off in Balochistan. The government forces have repeatedly violated the basic human rights of the Baloch people—the same human rights that are even promised in the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan. Access to drinking water is a basic need for human life, and the fact that people had to protest for drinking water is shameful enough. Yet, the administration went even further by firing upon civilians. The Constitution of Pakistan, in Article 16, clearly states: "Every citizen shall have the right to assemble peacefully and without arms, subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of public order." The protesters in Jiwani were unarmed and posed no threat. The violent crackdown was unlawful and in violation of the constitution. Article 9 of the 1973 Constitution promises the Right to Life, one of the most basic and universal human rights. This article states: "No person shall be deprived of life or liberty save in accordance with law." The use of deadly force by the government contradicts the constitution. The people of Jiwani were exercising their right to peaceful protest. Article 4 of the Constitution of Pakistan protects citizens. It states: "To enjoy the protection of law and to be treated in accordance with law is the inalienable right of every citizen, wherever he may be, and of every other person for the time being within Pakistan." The armed forces violated their duty to protect the citizens and instead became perpetrators of violence against them. The tragic event of February 21, 1987, shows the reality of human and constitutional rights violations happening in Balochistan. In this incident, many constitutional and basic human rights were violated, such as the right to access basic human needs like clean water, the right to assembly, the right to life, and protection under the law. The Baloch people demand accountability for such heinous crimes. On February 21, 2025, the Baloch Students Organization will hold a remembrance ceremony on the anniversary of the “Jiwani Massacre.” The objective of this remembrance day is to remember the martyrs of that tragic day. 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗵 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 #rememberingjiwanimassacre