Pak civil society writes letter to PM Sharif demanding release of activist Mahrang Baloch & others

Over 100 civil society members wrote a letter to Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, demanding the immediate release of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leaders, including Mahrang Baloch and Sammi Deen Baloch. The joint letter requested the prime minister to take action on the matter and release them before Eid, Geo News reported.

The signatories of the joint letter 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 the BYC leaders.

Earlier this month, BYC chief organiser Dr Mahrang Baloch and 16 other activists were arrested from their protest camps at Quetta’s Sariab Road. The arrests took place the day after they claimed that three protesters taking part in the demonstration died due to police actions. Meanwhile, BYC leader Sammi Deen Baloch was apprehended during a protest against the arrest of the movement’s leadership in Karachi.

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The letter raises alarm over police brutality

Mahrang was among the 150 individuals, including prominent BYC leaders, charged with serious offences, including terrorism, incitement to rebellion, and murder. An FIR has been registered at the Saryab Police Station on Saturday, citing violations of Sections 7 and 11W of the Anti-Terrorism Act, along with 16 sections of the Pakistan Penal Code.

According to the Geo News, the letter by the Pakistani dignitaries expressed alarm over the alleged police brutality against BYC women activists, stating that the use of excessive force against peaceful protesters exposes the “culture of impunity”.

The signatories are Pakistan’s 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 rearrest 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,” the letter obtained by Geo News reads.

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It included key demands, they are, immediate release of detained BYC leaders, an end to enforced disappearances, the initiation of political dialogue with Baloch representatives, and an independent probe into police brutality against women activists.

The joint letter to the PM emphasised that suppressing peaceful protests and denying political dialogue would only deepen the crisis in Balochistan. They also asked the government to align its actions with international human rights law that are also enshrined in the constitution of Pakistan and demanded the authorities to avoid further alienation of 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,” the letter 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.