Karachi police dispersed the protesters on Monday and arrested six people as the Balochjehti (Byc) committee maintained a protest against the recent arrests of their leadership and an offensive against their sitting Quetta.
The Byc had announced a protest at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) against the “illegal detention” of its key leaders, including Dr. Mahrang Baloch, which was arrested on Saturday along with 16 other activists from his protest camp in Quetta, one day after affirming that three Protectors had died due to police action.
Subsequently, in a notification dated today, the Karachi commissioner, Syed Hassan Naqvi, imposed a prohibition of all types of meetings throughout the city under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CRPC).
As BYC supporters tried to reach the KPC, the police intercepted them in Fawara’s Chowk, where law agents met resistance.
After an hour protest, the police began to disperse the protesters and put Sammi Deen Baloch and other supporters of Byc.
The supporter of Byc, Sadaf Ameer, who alleged that his father Ameer Bakhsh had been disappeared by force, he told him Dawn.com: “Before the protest began, a heavy police contingent came and subjected us to torture.
“They arrested and removed Sammi Deen Baloch and others,” added Sadaf, noting that they had demanded the release of Mahrang, Bebarg and others.
“We came peacefully and we were protesting peacefully, but the State cannot accept us peacefully. That is why the State has been violent with us and has taken Sammi Baloch and others.”
South Police General Inspector Syed Asad Raza said Syed Asad Raza Dawn.com That the Karachi commissioner had issued a notification about a prohibition of any public assembly or protests, however, several groups, including the byc, had planned protests in the red zone.
“The police sank the meeting and around six protesters, including Sammi Deen Baloch, were arrested for violation of section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and locked at the Women’s Police Station,” he said.
A large number of civil society activists were seen outside the police station in Artillery Maidan, where protesters were arrested. Dig Raza said the police had decided to house a case against under section 188 (disobedience to an order legally promulgated by a public servant) of the Pakistan Criminal Code.
The Human Rights Commission of the senior official of Pakistan, Qazi Khizar, one of the protest participants, said Dawn.com that the organizations of Byc and civil society had called a “peaceful” protest against the arrest of Dr. Mahrang and others, and repression against activists in Baluchistan.
He said that civil society organizations, certain political figures and a large number of young people, particularly women, arrived near the KPC, but was blocked with three routes. Therefore, they were forced to meet at Fawara Chowk, near the Zainab market. Khizar said that when they tried to advance further, police contingents led by senior officers prevented them from stating that section 144 had imposed.
The HRCP activist said the protesters had “agreed to” disperse when the police suddenly began to mistreat the activists. “The police adopted a brutal way to deal with protesters,” said the HRCP leader, adding that 13 women were taken but the number of men was not known.
He said that it was something “strange” to keep in mind that, in contrast to his “peaceful” protest, there were several people who claimed to represent the Pakistan Ulema Council and saw other groups singing slogans and manifested against Baloch activists under “police protection.” They carried banners, registering slogans against the Byc, but the police did not prevent them from violating section 144, he said.
The HRCP leader said that Mahrang and Sammi were “representative leaders” of Baluchistan who talked about constitutional rights and had to participate in the dialogue to address the volatile situation in the province.
Front Line Defenders, an Irish organization who advocated and worked for the protection of human rights, condemned Sammi’s arrest and said he was deeply concerned about development. “We call its immediate release and end to reprisals against Baloch’s human rights defenders,” he said in an X.
In an early statement today, Karachi’s Transit Police said: “Both paths from Din Muhammad Wafai Road to Mr. Kiani Chowrangi to Fawara Chowk have been closed by traffic.
“The Local Police has closed the road due to security,” the statement added.
He continued that alternative traffic routes had been devised from Kiani Chowrangi to Court Road, Thana Gali to Sarwar Shaheed Road and Fawara Chowk towards the Zainab market.
The public was asked to call the 1915 traffic help line for alternative routes to avoid any inconvenience.
According to an X publication, the BYC protest in Karachi was scheduled for 4pm and was organized in collaboration with members of civil society, while a protest in Quetta was scheduled for noon.
Counterprotetes
On the other hand, two separated protests were made in the nearby area, where the participants held banners and sang slogans against the Byc, as well as the Baluchistan Liberation Army (BL) forbidden.
However, it was not clear in which arrangements the counterprotestors were organized despite the imposition of section 144.
One of those protests was carried out outside the KPC, with the participants with banners that read “a link to RAW: Bla and Byc”, referring to the research and analysis wing of the Indian Intelligence Agency.
More people gathered in a service station near the Zainab market, with one of the banners that said “two sides of the same currency: Bla and Byc”.
Some banners transported by protesters in the Fawara Chowk mentioned the Council of Pakistan Ulema as organizer.
Another manifestation was also made to show solidarity with the Armed Forces near the Zainab market. The videos of the protest showed the protesters singing slogans against the leadership of Byc and Bla.
The deputy inspector (DIG) South Syed Asad Raza said Dawn.com“Some people were organizing a counterprotestation in Fawara Chowk; they dispersed. No one is allowed to organize public protests or assemblies in the light of notification by Commissioner Karachi.”
Prohibited meetings under section 144
The Karachi commissioner imposed section 144 throughout the city “in view of the prevailing situation of the law and order” today, according to a notification.
The notification occurred in response to a recommendation made by the inspector of the Police of the Inspector General of the southern zone of Karachi, Syed Asad Raza, to the commissioner on Sunday.
Today’s notification by the Karachi commissioner, Syed Hassan Naqvi, read that, under section 144, he had imposed a “complete prohibition of any type of protests, demonstrations, sitting, demonstrations and assembly of more than five people within the Karachi division with an immediate effect for March 24, 2025”.
In his recommendation on Sunday, Dig Raza had said that “in the context of [the] Current situation of laws and order in the city, it is required that [the] The prohibition can be imposed in the southern zone in protests, demonstrations, sitting and demonstrations “that are held on the main roads, which would result in traffic jams and raised” serious security threats. “
It had also been said that in view of the prevailing situation of the law and order, “it is essential that necessary measures to protect the participants, the public and the integrity of the event.”
“Therefore, it is requested that [a] Propose that any type of protest, manifestations, sitting demonstrations and assembly of more than five people can be kindly imposed within the limits of the southern zone under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure from March 24 to 31, 2025. ”
