ISLAMABAD: Over 100 civil society members have called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to take immediate action for the release of detained Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leaders, including Mahrang Baloch and Sammi Deen Baloch, before Eid.
In a joint letter to PM Shehbaz, a copy of which is available with Geo News, the signatories condemned the arrests, calling them an “attempt to suppress voices demanding an end to enforced disappearances and fundamental rights for the people of Balochistan”.
The letter came against the backdrop of shutter-down strikes in various cities of Balochistan and a protest in Karachi over the recent arrests of BYC leadership and a crackdown on its sit-in in Quetta.
BYC chief organiser Dr Mahrang Baloch and 16 other activists were arrested from their protest camp at Quetta’s Sariab Road on Saturday, a day after they claimed that three protesters died due to police action. BYC leader Sammi Deen Baloch was apprehended during a protest against the arrest of the movement’s leadership in Karachi.
Mahrang is among 150 individuals, including prominent leaders from the BYC, who are facing charges encompassing various serious offences, including terrorism, incitement to rebellion, and murder.
A first information report (FIR), lodged at the Saryab Police Station on Saturday, includes violations of Sections 7 and 11W of the Anti-Terrorism Act, as well as 16 sections of the Pakistan Penal Code.
The letter also expressed alarm over the alleged police brutality against BYC women activists, stating that the use of excessive force against peaceful protesters highlights the “culture of impunity”.
The signatories are prominent educationists, politicians and journalists, including senior journalist Hamid Mir, former senator Afrasiab Khattak, Human Rights Watch Senior Counsel Asia Division Saroop Ijaz and PPP leader Farhatullah Babar.
“We condemn the unconstitutional re-arrest of BYC leaders, including women activists, the minute they were granted bail. This blatant disregard for the rule of law and judicial process is a stark reminder of the systemic injustices faced by the people of Balochistan,” it stated.
The letter put forward key demands: the immediate release of detained BYC leaders, an end to enforced disappearances, initiation of a political dialogue with Baloch representatives, and an independent investigation into police brutality against women activists.
The signatories emphasised that suppressing peaceful protests and denying political dialogue would only deepen the crisis in Balochistan. They urged the government to align its actions with international human rights law and Pakistan’s constitution to avoid further alienation of the Baloch people.
“It’s imperative that the Pakistani government respects the rights of the Baloch people, including their right to protest and freedom of expression and release all those detained,” it stated, adding that the government must also produce all those forcibly disappeared in a court of law and ensure a fair trial for those accused.
“The ongoing repression in Balochistan is a stain on Pakistan’s reputation, and it is time for your government to take decisive action to address these concerns,” the letter concluded.
