Baloch Students Condemn Pakistan's Balochi Brahui Radio Ban

A prominent student organization in Balochistan has unleashed sharp criticism against Pakistan's decision to discontinue Balochi and Brahui programs on state radio, part of the 'Balochistan Digital Policy 2026.' The Baloch Students Action Committee (BSAC) describes the policy as insidious and driven by ill intent. This latest blow follows funding reductions for the Baloch Academy and exposes what BSAC calls a systematic erasure of Balochistan's core languages. Balochi and Brahui, spoken by millions, face existential threats without government support for their growth or survival. BSAC highlighted global contrasts: 'Countries invest in mother-tongue education and vast literary repositories. Here, the state prioritizes elimination over development.' They accuse authorities of hypocrisy – preaching literacy gains while throttling native languages. Decades of covert restrictions have left these languages vulnerable. BSAC recalls a foiled attempt last year to dismantle language departments at Balochistan University, justified falsely by enrollment dips engineered through neglect. The plot thickens with assembly debates defending cuts and fresh slashes to the Baloch Academy's budget. 'This is outright tyranny against our heritage,' BSAC declared. The radio program cancellations under the digital policy mark the latest assault. 'Language embodies identity; its loss spells cultural annihilation,' the committee emphasized. They label the moves as calculated exploitation and urge swift policy reversal amid rising fears of irreversible damage to Balochistan's linguistic legacy.