Pakistan: 7-year-old Baloch boy charged with terrorism for uploading video on YouTube

In a shocking case that sparked widespread outrage, the Pakistani authorities registered a case of terrorism against a seven-year-old boy in Balochistan, the restive region riddled with an independence movement.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) fiercely criticised the development, labelling it a “grave violation of human rights” and a glaring misuse of anti-terrorism laws.

The development, from Turbat, has raised serious concerns about the state’s handling of child rights and its legal obligations under national and international frameworks.

According to the HRCP, the young boy was charged under terrorism clauses after uploading a YouTube video that featured a speech by human rights activist Gulzar Dost.

“In Turbat, Balochistan, registering an FIR under terrorism clauses against a 7-year-old minor is highly condemnable and a severe violation of human rights. This step is not only contrary to the spirit of the law but also a blatant violation of national and international obligations regarding the protection of children,” the HRCP stated.

The organisation described the act of labelling the mere sharing of a video as terrorism as a stark example of the “unbalanced use of power.”

The HRCP has called for immediate action to address this alarming situation. It demanded the cancellation of what it called a “baseless FIR,” along with protection for the child and his family from any form of harassment.

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Additionally, the commission urged authorities to provide training to law enforcement agencies on children’s rights and to ensure the strict enforcement of child protection laws in cases involving minors.

The rights body also appealed directly to the Government of Balochistan, the Ministry of Human Rights, the Chief Justice of Pakistan, and the Pakistan Commission for Human Rights, pressing them to take swift notice of the case and intervene.

This incident is not an isolated one. Just days earlier, on Wednesday, the HRCP raised alarm over the ongoing prosecution of other underage children under anti-terrorism laws in Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC). The commission expressed deep concern that, despite clear evidence of their minor status, these children continue to face trials in the ATC, a practice it deems both “deeply troubling and incomprehensible.”

“It is deeply troubling and incomprehensible that, despite clear evidence of being minors, these children are being tried under anti-terrorism laws. Such judicial proceedings not only violate the Juvenile Justice System Act, 2018, of Pakistan, but also trample upon the fundamental human rights and constitutional protections afforded to children,” the HRCP stated. The organisation has called for an immediate halt to these trials and the transfer of such cases to Juvenile Courts, which are better equipped to handle cases involving minors in accordance with the law.