Pakistan rights group urges UN to intervene in Baloch protest repression – JURIST
The Baloch Human Rights Council (BHRC) called upon UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday to urgently intervene in the repression of peaceful protests in Pakistan. The group also urged Guterres to secure the immediate release of Dr Mahrang Baloch and other members of the Baloch Yekjehti Committee.
BHRC’s appeal stresses that the international community “must not remain silent” and must ensure that the Pakistani authorities follow the rule of law. Urging global action to hold Pakistani authorities accountable, the council described the arrests as “a blatant violation of fundamental freedoms and democratic principles.”
The Pakistani authorities arrested the members of the party during a protest against enforced disappearances in Balochistan on March 22. Dr Baloch, who is a prominent human rights advocate, was detained alongside his colleagues during a peaceful sit-in protest in Quetta as a part of a broader crackdown on activists demanding accountability for extra-judicial killings and continuous military expeditions in Balochistan.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province, has faced decades of conflict. The activists of the region have alleged varying concerns persisting from alleged resource exploitation, forced displacements, and state-sanctioned violence. Furthermore, the UN Working Group on Enforced Disappearances has documented over 1,000 unresolved cases in the region since 2014.
It is against this context the committee organized the protests. In response, the Karachi authorities invoked section 144, a colonial-era law that enforces law banning all kinds of public gatherings ahead of planned demonstrations under the grounds of “security concerns.” The dispersals and arrests of protesters, including Dr Baloch, escalated the tension in the region.
To protest against the arrest, the Baloch Yekjehti Committee organized a series of protests in the region on March 25. The Baloch National Movement’s UK chapter also protested outside 10 Downing Street on Sunday, urging the prime minister to address the issue of Pakistan’s rights violation in an attempt to International scrutiny over the action of the Pakistani authorities.
