The Balochistan freedom movement seems to be getting more prominent by the day, with videos now emerging of Baloch protesters taking down a Pakistani flag and hoisting a Baloch one above a hospital in Karachi. Social media also seemed replete with the Baloch people desecrating the Pakistani flag as they marked Aug. 14, which was Pakistan's Independence Day, as a Black Day.
As the British partitioned India in 1947, and prepared to hand over power, Balochistan declared its own independence on Aug. 11, which it has since then been celebrating as Independence Day. However, it was occupied by Pakistan since 1948, which has used the military solution to quell protests against it in the region, but has been successful only to some extent.
On Sunday, Aug. 14, Baloch activists took to the streets in many parts of Pakistan as well as the world, chanting slogans against the current regime in Pakistan. They also burnt flags of Pakistan as they raised their own. They even stepped on the Pakistan flag, and uploaded photos of this act of protest on social media. They also got the hashtag #14AugustBlackDay to trend on both Twitter and Facebook.
In a video that emerged from one such protest, the Pakistani flag was taken down from atop the Karachi Civil Hospital and the Baloch flag raised, to resounding shouts of "Pakistan Murdabad." Although the audio in the 45-second video goes silent for a few seconds, the slogans can be heard throughout the rest of it.
Watch the video here:
Others chose to burn the Pakistani flag and passports in demand of freedom for Balochistan:
Anger was also evident towards the most patriotic of icons and symbols of Pakistan, including Father of the Nation Mohammed Ali Jinnah.
It seems not just the adults but the children also got into the act. However, this cannot be independently verified.
The Pakistani Flag seemed to bear the brunt of the protests, either being desecrated or burnt.
Then there were some whose protests might have hurt some animal lovers or animal rights activists:
And the protests weren't confined to Balochistan alone, with agitators taking up the cause in Sindh as well.
