In a brutal display of force, Sindh Police have violently suppressed a peaceful protest organized by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) outside the Karachi Press Club, arresting demonstrators and using batons against peaceful protestors advocating against enforced disappearances. The police brutality targeted Lala Wahab Baloch, the Deputy Organizer of the BYC, who was forcibly taken away amid severe police violence, while fellow protestor Sammi Deen Baloch attempted to rescue him from the clutches of the brutal occupied-authorities.
According to Dr Mahrang Baloch, the leader of the BYC, Lala Wahab Baloch and five of his colleagues have been made missing after being subjected to violent treatment by the police. Eyewitnesses reported that the arrested individuals were held without any formal charges for the entire day, only to vanish from the police station later in the evening.
This attack coincides with the BYC’s announcement of a protest movement against the alarming rise of enforced disappearances, as nearly 60 Baloch individuals have been kidnapped in Karachi and POB this month alone. The police response to the peaceful demonstration underscores the occupied-state’s ongoing campaign of repression against dissenting voices, especially those of the marginalized Baloch community.
The police raid on the protest rally is a strategy employed by Paki establishment, its intelligence agencies, the Sindh Police, and the Pakistan Peoples Party-led provincial government to silence those opposing human rights violations in POB. The leader of the BYC condemned these actions as emblematic of the “worst form of tyranny,” highlighting the systemic efforts to stifle freedom of expression.
Dr Mahrang Baloch further emphasized the chilling effect of recent disappearances, particularly among young students, who are increasingly targeted for their dissenting views. The ongoing crackdown on voices advocating for human rights reveals the desperation of the Army-state to maintain its grip on power through violence and intimidation.
In response to the police actions, the Karachi Press Club has condemned the ongoing blockade of access routes and the curtailment of protest rights. President Saeed Sarbazi and Secretary Shoaib Ahmed highlighted the Press Club’s historical role as a champion of free journalism and democratic values. They insisted that any attempt to restrict access to the Press Club is an affront to civil society.
Sarbazi called on the Sindh authorities to take immediate action against the police’s oppressive tactics, warning that failure to address these issues will lead to increased resistance and protests. The Sindh police, along with the Pakistan Army and its affiliated institutions, must be held accountable for their role in perpetuating a cycle of oppression and denying fundamental rights to the people of POB.