- These elements not mere protesters, says MoFA spokesman.
- Shafqat Khan says they operating in collusion with terrorists.
- He says they hiding behind a façade of alleged grievances.
ISLAMABAD: Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan on Thursday said press release issued by some experts of the United Nations is based on selective and unverified media reports.
“We have taken note of the press release issued by certain UN experts…. It is imperative that public statements of this nature adhere to principles of objectivity, avoid selective criticism, reflect factual accuracy, and acknowledge the full context of the situation,” Khan said in his weekly press briefing.
He said this in response to the demand of UN human rights experts for release of Baloch activists arrested recently in Pakistan.
Police cracked down on members of the Balcoh Yakjehti Committee (BYC) in Karachi and Quetta over violating law.
Dr Mahrang Baloch has been named among 150 individuals, including prominent leaders from the BYC, facing charges encompassing various serious offences such as terrorism, incitement to rebellion, and murder.
A first information report (FIR), lodged at the Saryab Police Station in Quetta on March 22, also named Beebow Baloch, Gulzadi Satakzai, Sabiha Baloch, Sabatullah Baloch, Gulzar Dost, Riaz Gashkori, Dr Shali Baloch, and others among the accused.
They are alleged of covering terrorism, murder, attempted murder, incitement to violence and rebellion, creating disorder, promoting racial hatred and damaging property.
Mahrang, along with 17 others, was arrested under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance.
The case accused Mahrang and the BYC leadership of assisting rioters in shooting police officers, passersby, civilians, and their protesting colleagues, which resulted in the deaths of three individuals and left 15 police officers injured.
The group is also facing charges for their involvement in a chaotic attack on the Civil Hospital and forcibly taking the bodies of attackers from the Jaffer Express train bombing.
The FIR related to the Civil Hospital incident, which was lodged at the Civil Lines Police Station in Quetta last week, states that 100 to 150 people had stormed the medical facility and forcibly took the bodies of attackers involved in the Jaffer Express train attack from the hospital’s morgue upon the instigation of the BYC leadership.
The FIR states that the accused stopped a private ambulance at Hockey Chowk, beat the driver, and loaded the bodies into the ambulance.
Additionally, another FIR was filed against BYC leaders Gulzadi Baloch, Ali Jan, Shoaib, Syed Noor Shah, Waheed, Jahanzeb, Zohaib Baloch, and over 100 other individuals, at the Brewery Police Station in Quetta.
This case accuses the individuals of blocking the Western Bypass Road on Saturday while chanting slogans against the state and its institutions, inciting public unrest.
It is worth noting that under the leadership of Mahrang, protesters began a sit-in by placing bodies on Saryab Road on March 21. Later, the next day, the police launched a crackdown on the protesters, arresting Mahrang and several others.
A group of UN independent human rights experts said Pakistan must immediately release detained Baloch human rights defenders and cease its crackdown on “peaceful” protesters.
“We have been monitoring with growing concern reports of alleged arrests and enforced disappearances of Baloch activists over the past number of months, and the violent incidents in the past few days have significantly increased our concerns,” the experts said.
The experts expressed concern about an escalating series of actions by the police against the BYC.
Upon which, the MoFA spokesperson pointed towards the arrested people’s involvement in abuses of law and human rights violations.
Regrettably, he said, the comments made by the UN experts lack balance and proportionality, downplaying civilian casualties inflicted by terrorist attacks while disregarding the crimes committed by miscreants who deliberately disrupt public services, obstruct freedom of movement, and create an atmosphere of insecurity.
“Any credible assessment must recognise that these elements are not mere protesters but active participants in a broader campaign of lawlessness and violence. Their abuses of law and human rights violations cannot be ignored.
“Hiding behind a façade of alleged grievances, these elements are operating in collusion with terrorists — evident from their coordinated efforts to obstruct State responses, including synchronised roadblocks facilitating terrorist attacks. The latest proof of this nexus was their unlawful storming of the District Hospital in Quetta, where they forcibly seized the bodies of five terrorists eliminated during the Jaffar Express hostage rescue operation. Three of these bodies were retrieved back from these violent protestors by the police.”
The spokesperson said legal proceedings against the individuals were being conducted strictly in accordance with the law of the land.
“Any statement by UN Mandate Holders that casts aspersions on these proceedings risks undue interference in sub judice matters before domestic courts. Such interventions not only undermine the rule of law but also set a troubling precedent of disregarding sovereign legal processes,” he said.
Furthermore, Khan said, the pattern of selective and disproportionate focus by the UN machinery served no constructive purpose.
Instead, he said, it inadvertently emboldened extremist elements, fuelled unwarranted media sensationalism, incited disorder, and — most alarmingly — exacerbated societal polarisation and fragmentation.
“It is both perplexing and deeply ironic that the statement issued by the UN Special Procedures Mandate Holders stands in stark contradiction to the very essence and spirit of the UN’s own Resolution 2354. Rather than supporting a sovereign State in its determined and resolute efforts to combat terrorism, such statements risk legitimising extremist narratives—an outcome that is not only counterproductive but also fundamentally at odds with the principles the UN purports to uphold.
“International human rights law unequivocally prohibits individuals, entities, or groups from weaponising rights to infringe upon the rights and security of others. It also firmly upholds the right of sovereign States to take lawful and necessary action to maintain public order and ensure the safety of their citizens.”
He said the government was duty-bound to protect the lives and security of its people, particularly in areas where innocent civilians bore the brunt of foreign-sponsored terrorism.
“It has consistently pursued policies aimed at fostering social and economic development for all segments of society, regardless of ethnic or religious background. However, the persistent threat posed by terrorists and their enablers—through heinous attacks on civilians, security forces, and vital public infrastructure—undermines these efforts.
“In this regard, the measures undertaken by the government are fully consistent with international law, which categorically prohibits incitement to violence and terrorism. There can be no tolerance, let alone impunity, for terrorists, their facilitators, or their abettors.”
The spokesperson said institutional and legal mechanisms remained fully available for all citizens seeking redress in accordance with their constitutional rights.
“We maintain an open and constructive dialogue with UN Special Procedures Mandate Holders and will continue our engagement based on principles of mutual respect, objectivity, and adherence to facts,” he added.
