Karachi Erupts in Protests as Baloch Leaders Call for Activists' Release
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Synopsis
Protests erupted in Karachi as the Baloch Yakjehti Committee demanded the release of detained leaders, including Mahrang Baloch, highlighting concerns over state violence and enforced disappearances. Police arrested several activists during the demonstration.
Key Takeaways
- Protests in Karachi against state brutality.
- Baloch Yakjehti Committee demands release of activists.
- Mahrang Baloch accused of terrorism.
- Police crackdown leads to multiple arrests.
- International concern over human rights violations.
Karachi, March 25 (NationPress) Massive protests erupted in Karachi, Pakistan, as the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) marched against state violence and enforced disappearances, demanding the release of detained Baloch leaders, including their chief Mahrang Baloch.
Pakistan has accused Mahrang Baloch and other activists of terrorism after she spearheaded a sit-in protest against the unlawful arrest and police remand of relatives of enforced disappearance victims.
In a police operation, several people, including BYC leader Sammi Deen Baloch, were detained on Monday for allegedly breaching Section 144.
“Police disrupted the gathering, and around six protesters, including Sammi Deen Baloch, have been arrested for violating Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code and confined at the Women Police Station,” stated Pakistan's Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Syed Asad Raza.
In an interview with the prominent newspaper Dawn, a senior official from the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Qazi Khizar, who took part in the protest, mentioned that the BYC and civil society organizations had called for a “peaceful” demonstration against the detainment of Mahrang and others, as well as the crackdown on activists in Balochistan.
“The police employed a brutal method to handle the protesters,” the HRCP leader remarked, adding that 13 women were taken away, although the number of detained men remained unknown.
In contrast to their peaceful demonstration, some individuals claiming to represent the Pakistan Ulema Council and other groups were seen protesting against the Baloch activists under police protection. They displayed banners and shouted slogans targeting the BYC, while the police did not intervene to stop them from violating Section 144.
The international human rights organization Front Line Defenders expressed “serious concern” regarding Mahrang's detention.
“We are profoundly troubled by reports that Baloch human rights defender Sammi Deen Baloch has been apprehended by Karachi police and taken to an undisclosed location. We demand her immediate release and an end to reprisals against Baloch human rights defenders,” the organization posted on X on Monday.
Moreover, BYC Chief Organiser Mahrang Baloch was not presented before a court, even after more than 24 hours since her detention.
The protests against her arrest continued in Quetta and other regions of Balochistan, with police using tear gas to disperse demonstrators in some instances, according to local media reports.
