Malala Yousafzai voices concern over Mahrang Baloch’s arrest, calls for release

ISLAMABAD:  Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai has expressed solidarity with Baloch Yakjehti Committee’s (BYC) chief organiser Dr Mahrang Baloch who was arrested on Saturday last for holding a sit-in in Quetta.

In a tweet, Malala, who visited her hometown, Barkana, in Shangla district for the first time in 13 years since leaving the country after surviving a deadly assassination attempt, said: “ I am disturbed and concerned about the detention of Mahrang Baloch. She represents millions of voiceless people — women and children — who are facing human rights violations in Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is her right to protest and speak out for the most vulnerable people — and she must be immediately released. I stand with Mahrang Baloch.”

Mahrang Baloch, one of Balochistan’s most prominent activists, has long campaigned for the Baloch ethnic group, which alleges being subjected to extrajudicial harassment, arrests and killings by security forces.

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

Meanwhile, Amnesty International said in a statement that more than 38 hours after Mahrang Baloch’s unlawful detention, she is still being denied access to her lawyers and family.

“There are also worrying reports of continued arbitrary arrests and detentions across Balochistan province,” it said.

“Pakistani authorities must immediately release Mahrang Baloch and all others being detained for exercising their right to peaceful protest, and refrain from implicating Baloch activists in frivolous cases to unlawfully prolong their detention,” AI said in the statement.

Protests in Karachi, Balochistan Against Arrest of Mahrang Baloch 

Protests broke out in Karachi and various cities across Balochistan against the arrest of Mahrang Baloch. Ppolice used tear gas to disperse demonstrators and detained several of them. 

The BYC said that Dr Mahrang Baloch and Bibarg Baloch, were not presented in court. 

In a written statement on Monday, the BYC claimed that a heavy police was deployed on the Quetta’s Western Bypass, where a sit-in had been planned.

The BYC said that tear gas was used to disperse demonstrators gathering on Sariab’s Kambirani Road. 

BYC leader Dr Sabiha Baloch alleged that police were arresting those arriving to participate in the sit-in. Protests were also held in Kech and other areas against the arrests of BYC leaders. 

Speaking to BBC, Dr Sabiha Baloch said that a sit-in was planned on Brewery Road, but police prevented them from doing so and arrested workers. She also shared videos of the arrests. However, a senior official from Brewery police said that no arrests had been made so far. 

In Quetta’s Sariab neighbourhood, protesters gathered on Kambirani Road for a demonstration. However, a large police force was deployed, who used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd. 

Meanwhile, in Turbat, a rally was held, with participants marching through various streets before staging a sit-in at Shaheed Fida Chowk. In Buleida, women also organized a protest rally. 

Officials in the border district of Panjgur reported that a shutter-down strike entered its third day in protest against the arrests of BYC leaders. 

BYC Leaders Yet to Be Presented in Court

Imran Baloch, the legal representative for Dr Mahrang Baloch and other detained BYC leaders, said that all those arrested in Quetta had been detained under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance. 

He said that while cases have been registered against them at various police stations, the arrested leaders and activists have yet to be presented in court. 

“Under the MPO, authorities are not required to present detainees in court within 24 hours, which is why they have not been produced before a judge,” Imran Baloch explained. 

However, he noted that the legality of these arrests under the MPO has been challenged in the Balochistan High Court, and a hearing is scheduled for tomorrow. 

He accused authorities of deliberately delaying the legal process, stating that even if detainees secure release under the MPO, they may be re-arrested under other cases. 

BYC Leader Simi Deen Baloch and Others Arrested

Meanwhile, the Sindh government has stated that Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leader Simi Deen Baloch was arrested for violating Section 144. 

In a statement, Sindh government spokesperson Saadia Javed said, “There was a threat alert in the city, and the commissioner had imposed Section 144, which was violated. That is why these arrests were made.”

When asked whether the same restriction would apply to the PPP’s planned protest over water issues, she replied, “This ban applies to all parties.” 

The BYC and members of Karachi’s civil society had called for a protest outside the Press Club against the detention of Dr Mahrang Baloch, Bibarg Baloch, and other activists. 

However, security forces have been deployed outside the Press Club to prevent the demonstration, and Section 144 remains in effect across Karachi. 

According to a statement issued by the BYC, Simi Baloch and other protesters were detained from Press Club Chowk, near the Governor House. 

The BYC further claimed that police baton-charged the demonstrators, injuring several men and women, and arrested multiple individuals. 

“As a result of the baton charge, many women and men sustained injuries. Those arrested include BYC leader Lala Wahab, Sami Deen Baloch, and over a dozen civil society members, both men and women.” 

Meanwhile, all entry and exit routes to the Karachi Press Club have been sealed. A heavy police presence surrounds the area, and authorities are preventing people from approaching the club. Even journalists are being denied entry.