Pakistan: Khan of Kalat Denounces Islamabad Police Brutality Against Baloch

Khan of Kalat Mir Sulaiman Dawood Ahmedzai has strongly condemned the acts of violence and inhumane atrocities committed by Islamabad police against Baloch women.

He emphasized that the mistreatment of Baloch women and children by the authorities in Islamabad is unforgivable, and the global community has witnessed these inhuman acts.

Mir Sulaiman Dawood Ahmedzai stated that innocent Baloch individuals had traveled to Islamabad to seek justice and commemorate their loved ones who had been missing for decades.

He decried the inhumane atrocities inflicted upon them by oppressors, describing them as unbearable and unforgettable.

“I will never forget and never forgive this abuse of the followers of Islam and the masters of Islamabad; it is the worst humiliation of Baloch tradition as well as humanity,” Ahmedzai said.

Mir Sulaiman Dawood Ahmedzai expressed his gratitude to various groups, including Manzoor Pashteen’s family, Loralai, Rakhni, Barkhan, Fort Munro, Dera Ghazi Khan, Taunsa, the brave women of the Aurat March, human rights representatives, journalists, and everyone who participated in the march.

He also thanked Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousufzai, Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, the European Union, the Norwegian government, and all Balochs worldwide. Greta Thunberg had offered support to Baloch protesters.

In a post shared on X, Greta Thunberg stated, “Climate justice activists all over the world stand in solidarity with @MahrangBaloch_ and other peaceful protesters who have been detained, tortured, and disrupted by Islamabad police for protesting against human rights abuses in Balochistan.”

The Khan of Kalat expressed gratitude to Pakistani author and journalist Hanif Mohammad for returning the “Sitara e Imtiaz” award in protest against the actions taken against Baloch protesters.

In a post shared on X, Hanif Mohammad stated, “In protest, returning my Sitara e Imtiaz, given to me by a state that continues to abduct and torture Baloch citizens. Journalists of my generation have seen @SammiBaluch and @MahrangBaloch_ grow up in protest camps. Ashamed to witness a new generation being denied basic dignity.”

Baloch protesters who had been detained for protesting against ‘enforced disappearances’ were released by Islamabad Police on Sunday after their bail was approved.

This development followed a three-day ultimatum given by the Baloch protesters to the Islamabad authorities, demanding the release of all students and the dismissal of cases against them.

The detention occurred after Islamabad police used excessive force to disperse Baloch protesters who had gathered in the capital to demonstrate against “enforced disappearances.”

The long march, led by Baloch women, commenced its journey from Balochistan on December 6.

The police action against Baloch women and men received widespread condemnation from human rights bodies and political parties. Even federal ministers acknowledged that the Baloch protesters who reached Islamabad from Balochistan were not involved in the violence.

Earlier in the week, Islamabad Police had detained several Baloch protesters, deploying water cannons and baton charges to disperse a protest against enforced disappearances.

Following the arrests, the Baloch Yekjehti Committee (BYC) filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court.

During the hearing of the petition against the “illegal” arrests of Baloch protesters, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) ruled that it is their “constitutional right” to hold protests.

Simultaneously, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) strongly condemned the violent state crackdown on Baloch protesters.

HRCP Commission Chairperson Asad Iqbal Butt expressed dismay at the state’s response to peaceful protesters, citing the use of unwarranted force, including water cannons and batons, on women, children, and the elderly.

The HRCP statement reads, “Numerous women protesters have reportedly been arrested and separated from their male relatives and allies. At least one Baloch woman journalist covering the long march has also been arrested. This treatment of Baloch people exercising their constitutional right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression is inexcusable.”

The HRCP urged the authorities to release all those detained immediately and unconditionally.

It emphasized that a state responding to calls for the right to life, liberty, and due process with force has abandoned its constitutional and moral responsibility to protect and fulfill the rights of all people.

The HRCP statement released further emphasized, “We strongly urge the government to organize a delegation immediately to meet the protesters, give their legitimate demands a fair hearing, and commit to upholding the rights of the Baloch people. The state’s widespread use of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings also warrants a prompt and transparent investigation as well as a commitment to hold the perpetrators accountable.”