Mahrang is currently lodged in Quetta District jail along with 150 others after the brutal crackdown on the Baloch leaders at their protest camp…reports Asian Lite News
Pakistan has accused Mahrang Baloch, leader of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), and several other activists of terrorism after she led a sit-in protest against the unlawful arrest and police remand of relatives of enforced disappearance victims.
Mahrang is currently lodged in Quetta District jail along with 150 others after the brutal crackdown on the Baloch leaders at their protest camp.
The charges on the protestors cover offences like terrorism, murder and attempted murder, incitement to violence and rebellion, creating disorder and promoting racial hatred, and property damage, local media reported on Monday.
Meanwhile, shutter-down strikes were observed for the second consecutive day in several cities of Balochistan, while the internet services in Quetta and surrounding areas remained suspended for the fourth consecutive day on Sunday.
Speaking to Pakistan’s leading daily Dawn on Sunday, Asma Baloch sister of Mahrang stated that more than 24 hours have passed, but Mahrang has not been produced in court nor is she allowed access to legal counsel.
“The authorities at Quetta District Jail did not allow us to meet my sister, and we were not allowed to deliver food and other essential items to her,” Asma stated.
Human Rights organisation Amnesty International called for Mahrang’s release in a post on X on Sunday, stating that she had been unlawfully detained for over 38 hours.
“More than 38 hours since 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. 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,” the organisation said.
The BYC has further accused Pakistan’s police of using excessive force against demonstrators in the provincial capital, claiming that they opened fire on peaceful protesters, killing three people and injuring dozens, including seven in critical condition.
The Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) and the National Party (NP) condemned what they described as “excessive force against peaceful demonstrators” and urged the Pakistani government to engage in dialogue to resolve the situation.
Earlier, Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) vehemently denounced “the excessive and brutal use of force” against the “peaceful protesters of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) in Quetta.”
“The oppressive regime has once again crossed all boundaries of brutality in its desperate attempt to cling to power, even at the cost of national unity and integrity,” PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram said.
“We demand immediate accountability for those responsible for the killing and injuring of peaceful demonstrators and instant release of all detainees, including Dr Mahrang Baloch,” he added.
