F.P. Report
KARACHI: Karachi police on Monday dispersed protesters and arrested six people as the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) held a protest against the recent arrests of its leadership and a crackdown on its Quetta sit-in.
The BYC had announced a protest at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) against the “illegal detention” of its key leaders, including Dr Mahrang Baloch who was arrested on Saturday along with 16 other activists from their protest camp in Quetta, a day after claiming that three protesters had died due to police action.
Subsequently, in a notification on Monday, Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi imposed a ban on all types of gatherings across the city under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
As BYC supporters tried to reach the KPC, they were intercepted by the police at the Fawara Chowk, where they were met with resistance by the law enforcers. After an hour-long protest, police began dispersing the demonstrators and took Sammi Deen Baloch and other BYC supporters into custody.
BYC supporter Sadaf Ameer, who alleged her father Ameer Bakhsh had been forcibly disappeared, told media: “Before the protest even began, a heavy police contingent came and subjected us to torture. “They arrested and took away Sammi Deen Baloch and others,” Sadaf added, noting they had come to demand the release of Mahrang, Bebarg and others.
“We came peacefully and we were protesting peacefully, but the state cannot accept us protesting peacefully. This is why the state has been violent with us and has taken Sammi Baloch and others.” South Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Syed Asad Raza told media that the Karachi commissioner had issued a notification regarding a ban on any public assemblies or protests, however, various groups, including the BYC, had planned protests in the red zone.
“Police scuttled the gathering and around six protestors, including Sammi Deen Baloch, have been arrested on violation of Section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code and locked up in Women Police Station,” he said. He said 14 detained protesters, including females, were released by late in the evening, however, the six detained individuals, including Sammi, were formally booked over violation of Section 144.
A large number of civil society activists were seen standing outside the police station at Artillery Maidan where the protesters were detained. DIG Raza said the police had decided to lodge a case against them under Section 188 (disobedience to an order lawfully promulgated by a public servant) of the Pakistan Penal Code. Human Rights Commission of Pakistan’s senior official Qazi Khizar, one of the participants of the protest, told media that the BYC and civil society organisations had given a call for a “peaceful” protest against the detention of Dr Mahrang and others, and the crackdown on activists in Balochistan.
He said the civil society organisations, certain political figures and a large number of young people, particularly women, arrived near the KPC but it was blocked from three routes.
