Karachi Press Club
Roads surrounding the Karachi Press Club (KPC) were sealed off on Monday in anticipation of a protest organized by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC). The protest was planned in response to the recent arrests of the group’s leadership in Quetta. The authorities, in an effort to prevent any potential unrest, imposed Section 144, effectively banning all public gatherings in the city.
The protest was called after BYC leader Dr. Mahrang Baloch and 17 others were detained during a police raid at their protest camp in Quetta on Saturday. As a result, the BYC announced its demonstration at the KPC, prompting law enforcement agencies to take preventive measures, including blocking roads and diverting traffic in key areas.
According to the traffic police, both tracks from Deen Muhammad Wafai Road to Fawara Chowk were closed, while vehicles coming from MR Kiani Chowrangi were rerouted to Court Road. Similarly, traffic heading toward Fawara Chowk was diverted toward Zainab Market. These restrictions led to significant congestion and inconvenience for commuters.
The Karachi Press Club President, Fazil Jameeli, strongly condemned the road closures and the restriction on the movement of journalists in the area. He issued a statement urging the Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) to take immediate notice of what he described as an “illegal act” and demanded the removal of all barriers restricting access to the press club.
Dr. Mahrang Baloch and the other detained activists are currently being held at the Quetta District Jail under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance. The case against them includes charges under Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Act (Sections 7 and 11W) and multiple sections of the Pakistan Penal Code.
These charges encompass terrorism, murder, attempted murder, incitement to rebellion, creating public disorder, promoting racial hatred, and damaging property.
The first information report (FIR) registered at the Saryab Police Station on Saturday accused Mahrang and other BYC leaders of inciting violence, leading to an incident where rioters allegedly opened fire on police officers, passersby, and fellow protesters. This confrontation reportedly resulted in three fatalities and left 15 police personnel injured.
Another serious allegation in the FIR states that the BYC leadership played a role in a violent attack on Civil Hospital Quetta, where a group of 100 to 150 individuals stormed the hospital’s morgue and forcibly took the bodies of individuals involved in the Jaffer Express train attack. The FIR claims that the accused later stopped a private ambulance at Hockey Chowk, assaulted the driver, and loaded the bodies into the vehicle.
In addition to the charges related to the Civil Hospital incident, another FIR was lodged against several BYC leaders, including Gulzadi Baloch, Ali Jan, Shoaib, Syed Noor Shah, Waheed, Jahanzeb, and Zohaib Baloch. This FIR, registered at the Brewery Police Station in Quetta, accuses the individuals of blocking the Western Bypass Road while chanting slogans against the state and its institutions, allegedly inciting public unrest.
The unrest initially began when protesters, led by Dr. Mahrang, staged a sit-in on Saryab Road on Friday night, placing bodies on the road as a form of demonstration. The following day, law enforcement agencies launched a crackdown, resulting in multiple arrests, including that of Mahrang Baloch.
Despite her detention, police officials have yet to officially confirm her arrest. According to some sources, she is not currently in the custody of the Civil Lines Police but is being held at the District Jail, possibly under Sections 3 or 16 of the MPO Ordinance.
The situation continues to evolve, with human rights activists, political figures, and members of the press closely monitoring the developments surrounding the arrests and the broader implications for political dissent and freedom of assembly in the country.
