Pakistan court seeks report on police brutality against Baloch protesters

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday sought a report regarding police torture against Baloch students protesting in front of the country's National Press Club in Islamabad.

The court has also adjourned the hearing for the case till March 21.

Secretary Ministry of Human Rights, Additional Secretary Interior, Attorney General of Pakistan, Advocate General Islamabad and Inspector General of Police (IGP) of Islamabad appeared before the court, The Frontier Post reported on Monday.

After hearing the case, Chief Justice Athar Minallah remarked that the Baloch students should be provided with a forum to raise their voices. Any senior public official should have visited them, he added.

The chief justice questioned the respondents why not the court should issue orders for termination of the first information report (FIR) against the protesters.

Upon this, Attorney General of Pakistan, Khalid Jawed Khan answered that this matter concerned the law and order situation. He even requested the court to let the police complete the procedure to dismiss FIR.

In a previous hearing, Minallah slammed the police for perpetrating violence against the protesters and said that the students were protesting peacefully.

Earlier, Islamabad police Tuesday clashed with protesters. According to students, plain-clothes officials snatched their phones for and dismantled the protest camp.

Baloch students have started the protest for the safe recovery of fellow student Hafeez Baloch and other students who went missing. They also condemned the non-recovery of missing and forcibly disappeared students by state forces and the violence against Baloch students in Islamabad and the police FIR against them.

Balochistan Human Development Index ranks below 0.40 as compared to other provinces that lie above 0.50. Within Pakistan, Balochistan lags behind other provinces.

Meanwhile enforced disappearances and arbitrary killings of Balochs have also become a new 'normal in the region'.

( With inputs from ANI )

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