Pakistan detains leading Baloch rights activist: police

Pakistan detained a leading female Baloch rights activist on Saturday for holding a sit-in in southwestern Balochistan at which three protesters were also killed, police said.

Mahrang Baloch, one of Pakistan's most prominent human rights advocates, has long campaigned for the Baloch ethnic group against their alleged extrajudicial harassment, arrests, and killings.

The Pakistan government says its forces are fighting separatist militants who target state forces and foreign nationals in the mineral-rich province bordering Afghanistan and Iran.

"She, along with 17 other protesters, including 10 men and seven women, has been arrested," a senior police official told AFP on condition of anonymity, as he was not authorized to speak to the media.

"It is currently being assessed what charges should be filed against them," he added.

Among those arrested were also the parents of individuals whom the BYC claims were killed in the clashes. The BYC alleged that security forces had taken the bodies of two protestors into custody.

This latest escalation follows a deadly train siege earlier this month, in which around 60 people were killed, half of them alleged Baloch separatists. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a key separatist group, claimed responsibility for the attack.

The protest

The crackdown follows a tense standoff on Quetta’s Sariab Road, where protests erupted after the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) forcibly took possession of five bodies from the Civil Hospital on Friday.

While state authorities claimed these were the remains of militants behind the recent Jaffer Express attack, protesters alleged they were missing persons killed in staged encounters by security forces.

A local journalist told Nukta that as more demonstrators joined the sit-in, the situation escalated after negotiations failed. "The protesters were hit with tear gas and batons by police after they attempted to move forward," she said.

The BYC accused law enforcement of opening fire, resulting in the deaths of three protesters and injuries to several others. However, the Balochistan government claimed that 10 security personnel, including women, were injured due to stone-pelting by protesters.

Tensions remained high for a second consecutive day, with mobile networks and internet services being suspended in Quetta.

'Violence escalated by protesters'

In a statement released today evening, the Quetta Commissioner’s Office said that the demonstration escalated into violence after BYC protesters and their armed accomplices resorted to stone-pelting, indiscriminate firing, and attacks on law enforcement personnel.

“During the unrest, three individuals lost their lives due to the firing by armed elements accompanying BYC leadership,” the statement read.

Authorities said "the bodies of the deceased needed examination to determine the cause of death". They accused the BYC leadership of refusing to hand over the bodies, "despite knowing that all three — one of whom was an Afghan national — were killed by their associates".

“On the request of the deceased's families, police successfully recovered the bodies from the unlawful custody of BYC supporters and ensured their respectful handover to the respective families,” the commissioner’s office claimed.

The Commissioner also informed that legal proceedings have been initiated against BYC leaders and their "armed supporters". They have been charged with attacking the Civil Hospital, inciting violence, and committing other offenses.

“The administration remains committed to maintaining law and order and ensuring that all individuals involved in illegal activities are brought to justice,” the commissioner said.

Bar council boycotts judicial proceedings

The Balochistan Bar Council announced a boycott of judicial proceedings across the province on Saturday in protest against “police violence on a peaceful rally in Sariab.”

The council stated that the “police crackdown, which involved firing, tear gas shelling, and baton charges, left three people dead and several others injured. Among the casualties were women and children.”

Condemning the government’s actions, the council described “the attack on the peaceful protest as a sign of panic within the provincial administration” and labeled it “a gross violation of human rights.”

The council further accused the Pakistan People’s Party-led provincial government of using “force and oppression to extend its rule,” calling it “a blatant example of authoritarianism.” It also claimed that innocent bystanders, including pedestrians and hotel workers, were injured in the violence.

Denouncing the arrests, the council demanded the immediate release of all detained women, children, and students and called for the missing persons from Sariab to be brought to light.

'Cease to use force'

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) condemned the crackdown, urging authorities to "immediately cease the use of force against peaceful protesters and release those arbitrarily detained."

The organization further called for an end to "disproportionate and unlawful kinetic means" in favor of a political resolution.