Karachi Police Crackdown on Baloch Yakjehti Committee Protest, Arrests Leaders

QUETTA: On Monday, Karachi police launched a crackdown on protesters gathered near the Karachi Press Club following a call by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) for a demonstration.

The protest was in response to the recent arrests of key BYC leaders, including Dr. Mahrang Baloch, in Quetta on March 22.

As the protesters approached the Press Club, police blocked all roads and prevented them from advancing. The situation escalated when police responded violently, arresting BYC leaders Sammi Deen Baloch, Lala Wahab and 13 other protesters.

DIG South, Syed Asad Raza, confirmed that the arrests were made under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code for violating the ban on public gatherings. He added that an FIR was filed under Section 188 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

However, legal experts and lawyers have argued that these arrests are illegal, as Section 144 is a non-cognizable offense, meaning the police cannot make arrests or file an FIR without a warrant.

Lawyers also referred to multiple rulings from the higher judiciary, confirming that the police do not have the authority to make arrests in such cases. They said that pressure from intelligence agencies may have influenced the police’s actions.

Meanwhile, activists have raised concerns about apparent double standards by the police. They pointed out that while BYC protesters were attacked and arrested, other groups, including state-backed religious extremist organizations, were allowed to protest without police interference.

Earlier, the situation in Quetta also escalated on Friday when police used tear gas, water cannons, and aerial firing to disperse BYC protesters who had staged a sit-in on Saryab Road near Balochistan University.

Fauzia Baloch, the head of the BYC. in Lasbela, condemned the police’s violent tactics, saying, “We had come for the protest, but the roads were blocked. We wanted to protest peacefully, but we were subjected to violence. The police dragged our women.”

She added, “Sammi Deen is currently in the women’s police station, and if she is not released, we will adopt a tougher course of action.”

The BYC has called for immediate and unconditional release of all detained activists, including their leaders Dr. Mahrang Baloch, Sammi Deen Baloch, Lala Wahab Baloch and Beebagr Baloch.

The BYC has urged the international human rights organisations to hold the Pakistani state accountable for its atrocities and crimes against humanity, stating that Pakistan’s actions represent an ongoing violation of justice, freedom, and human dignity.

The B.Y.C. has also announced plans to organise protests in several areas of Balochistan on March 25, under the slogan “No To Oppression, No To Pakistan’s Tyranny,” in response to the arrests of its leaders and the brutalities of Pakistani forces against the Baloch people.

“The time for silence is over,” the BYC statement read. “The Pakistani state must face global condemnation and consequences for its state-sponsored terrorism. The voices of the oppressed will not be erased, Balochistan will resist.”