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Baloch activist Dr. Mahrang Baloch has reported a harrowing experience of detention, harassment, and travel restrictions imposed by Pakistani authorities at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport. Despite holding a valid U.S. visa and an official invitation to attend a TIME Magazine event in New York, she was barred from her flight scheduled for Monday night.
At a press conference on Tuesday at the Karachi Press Club, Dr. Baloch recounted the events leading to her five-hour detention, emphasizing that her fundamental rights had been violated without any legal justification. “I stand before you today to share the gross violations of the basic human rights of the Baloch people in this state,” she stated. “Last night at Karachi Airport and in its vicinity, state intelligence agencies, the FIA, and the Sindh Police violated my fundamental rights as a citizen and subjected us to indefensible treatment.”
Press Conference
Respected Members of the Press,
I stand before you today to share the gross violations of the basic human rights of the Baloch people in this state. As many of you are aware, last night at Karachi Airport and in its vicinity, state intelligence agencies, the… pic.twitter.com/5buIiDsjAY— Mahrang Baloch (@MahrangBaloch_) October 8, 2024
Despite completing all necessary travel procedures, Dr. Baloch was stopped by immigration authorities when she attempted to board her flight to New York. She shared, “TIME Magazine included me in its list of the 100 Most Influential People, and I was invited to attend their event. But after fulfilling all formalities at the airport, the Immigration Department unjustly prevented me from boarding.”
Today, I was scheduled to travel to New York to attend @TIME Magazine's gala, where I was invited alongside other leaders named as TIME’s Most Influential Emerging Leaders of the Year. However, I was unjustly stopped at Karachi International Airport with no legal or valid given… pic.twitter.com/Ea7dH4W6Fb
— Mahrang Baloch (@MahrangBaloch_) October 7, 2024
When she inquired about the reason behind her detention, an FIA officer reportedly walked away without offering any explanation. Dr. Baloch highlighted that after five hours of waiting without legal justification, an FIA officer confiscated her passport after her flight had departed. “I spoke to them for over an hour, and only after persistent efforts did they return my passport,” she explained.
Accompanied by fellow activist Sammi Deen Baloch, the harassment continued even after they left the airport. Just minutes after exiting, their vehicle was stopped again by state intelligence agents and Sindh Police officers. “Our vehicle was blocked, and they forcibly removed our driver, assaulted him, and took the car keys,” Dr. Baloch detailed. As the officers opened all the doors and searched the car, they manhandled the activists, pulling them out and verbally abusing them.
جیسے ہی ہم ائیر پورٹ سے نکلے ہیں ہماری گاڑی کو پاکستانی خفیہ اداروں کے اہلکاروں نے پولیس سمیت گھیرے میں لے کر گاڑی کی تلاشی لینے کہ بعد مجھے پر اور ماہرنگ بلوچ پر تشدد کیا گیا گاڑی ڈرائیور کو گھونسے مکے اور لاتیں ماری گئی
ہماری گاڑی کی چابیوں کو ساتھ لے کر چلے گئے ہیں ہم ایک… pic.twitter.com/VoAExnIkvm
— Sammi Deen Baloch (@SammiBaluch) October 7, 2024
During the search, Dr. Baloch reported that her passport, mobile phone, and car keys were seized, leaving them stranded on a deserted road late at night. “Two more vehicles arrived, and the men inside continued to harass us with obscene language before driving off,” she added. Feeling unsafe, the activists were compelled to abandon their car and take a taxi home. “Enduring such inhumane treatment was both painful and distressing, and I was subjected to this simply because I am a Baloch and a human rights activist,” she emphasized.
Dr. Baloch expressed that her ordeal showcased the severe deprivation of basic human rights faced by Baloch citizens. “If this is how they treat me, with a valid visa and an invitation to a global event, one can only imagine how ordinary Baloch citizens are treated in Balochistan,” she lamented.
Nonetheless, Dr. Baloch affirmed that such oppressive actions would not silence her. “I want to send a clear message to the state and its institutions: such tactics will neither silence us nor deter us from raising our voices against the violations of human rights in Balochistan. On the contrary, these actions only strengthen our resolve, and we will continue to organize and speak out against the abuse and genocide of the Baloch people.”
In her closing remarks, Dr. Baloch appealed to national and international human rights organizations to hold the Pakistani state accountable for its actions and to protect the rights of the Baloch people.
