Karachi [Pakistan], January 19 : Amnesty International South Asia unit, has condemned the "heavy-handed police crackdown" on Baloch protesters in Lyari, Karachi, during a peaceful mobilisation campaign organised by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC).
In a post on X, Amnesty International stated that the protest, which aimed to raise awareness for Baloch rights, was met with excessive force, as police detained several women for hours before releasing them. Nine male protesters, including Lala Wahab Baloch, the BYC's Central Deputy Organiser, remain in detention without any formal charges being filed.
The human rights organisation has expressed alarm over the rising trend of harassment and intimidation targeting Baloch activists ahead of a planned rally in Dalbandin, Balochistan, on January 25, 2025. Authorities have escalated their efforts, filing criminal cases against BYC leaders in an apparent attempt to stifle peaceful dissent.
Amnesty International has further highlighted, "We call on the authorities to immediately release all those detained during the gathering in Lyari and ensure that the right to protest is upheld by refraining from any arbitrary detentions, use of unlawful force and criminal cases against organisers and participants of peaceful assemblies."
Recently, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee also criticised the crackdown and alleged that the area has been "besieged, with police targeting only Baloch citizens"
"Several BYC members were illegally arrested, including Lala Wahab Baloch, the Central Deputy Organiser, and Sammi Deen Baloch, Fouzia Baloch, and Amna Baloch. The area has been besieged, with police targeting only Baloch citizens. Sammi Deen Baloch is being held at the Kharadar Police Station, while Lala Wahab Baloch is at the Chakiwara Police Station. The police are reportedly harassing and threatening Sammi Deen Baloch and kept in jail alone. She escaped an assassination attempt just yesterday. Her life is in danger and Sindh Police is responsible for that," the BYC stated in a post on X.
BYC further lamented, "This incident is part of a broader pattern of repression against the Baloch people and human rights defenders. We appeal to the Baloch and other communities to urgently reach Kharadar and other police stations and stand with their sisters and brothers."
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