Six activists from the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), including Deputy Organizer Lala Wahab Baloch, have reportedly gone missing after being taken into police custody during a peaceful protest in Karachi, according to BYC organizer Dr. Mahrang Baloch. The protest, held outside the Karachi Press Club, aimed to draw attention to the escalating number of enforced disappearances in both Karachi and Balochistan.
The BYC alleges that the activists were detained at Artillery Maidan Police Station without any formal charges or a First Information Report (FIR) filed against them. Dr. Mahrang Baloch expressed her concerns on social media, stating, “They were subjected to violence in front of the Karachi Press Club and held in custody all day without any formal charges. Now, they have disappeared from the police station.”
While families of the arrested individuals were granted a brief meeting with them at 6 PM, access was denied by 8 PM, raising fears that the activists have been forcibly disappeared. According to the BYC, police informed relatives that an FIR had been lodged against the activists, but are refusing to provide any documentation. The organization stressed that the Sindh police and the state would be held fully responsible for the safety of the detained activists.
The protest, organized due to the alarming rise in enforced disappearances—approximately 60 reported in October alone—was met with a significant police crackdown. Reports indicate that police used force to disperse the demonstrators, resulting in multiple arrests, including that of Lala Wahab Baloch and other BYC members.
The Karachi Press Club condemned the actions of the Sindh police, particularly the obstruction of roads leading to its premises during the protest. In an official statement, President Saeed Sarbazi and Secretary Shoaib Ahmed denounced the police’s actions, branding them an assault on democratic principles and freedom of expression. They called for immediate government intervention and warned that continued suppression of protests would lead to retaliatory actions by the Press Club.
In a separate statement on X, Dr. Mahrang Baloch vehemently criticized the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and its Sindh government, accusing them of enabling the ongoing repression against the Baloch people. “The violence inflicted on Baloch mothers, sisters, and elders outside the Karachi Press Club today is a continuation of that oppression,” she wrote, emphasizing the significance of the recent incidents as a direct assault on Baloch dignity and values.
Calling for unity and resilience among the Baloch people, Dr. Baloch urged her community to turn their suffering into a rallying point for resistance. “This oppression is not meant to break us but to teach us to stand even stronger for our rights. We will not remain silent, we will not bow down, we will fight, and we will claim our rights.”
