The international Baloch Human Rights Council (BHRC) called upon UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on March 25 to urgently intervene in the repression of peaceful protests in Pakistan's conflicted Balochistan province. The group urged Guterres to secure the immediate release of Dr. Mahrang Baloch and other members of the Baloch Yekjehti Committee, a local rights group. Dr. Baloch and several of her comrades were detained at a protest in provincial capital Quetta against enforced disappearances.

The BHRC appeal stressed that the international community "must not remain silent," but must ensure that the Pakistani authorities follow the rule of law. Urging global action to hold Pakistan accountable, the council described the arrests as "a blatant violation of fundamental freedoms and democratic principles."

Pakistani authorities arrested the members of the Baloch Yekjehti Committee during a protest against enforced disappearances in Balochistan on March 22. Dr. Baloch, who is a prominent human rights advocate, was detained alongside his colleagues during a peaceful sit-in protest in Quetta, as a part of a broader crackdown on activists demanding accountability for extra-judicial killings amid continuous military operations in Balochistan.

Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province, has faced decades of conflict. The activists of the region have raised varying concerns arising from conflicts over resource exploitation, forced displacements, and state-sanctioned violence. The UN Working Group on Enforced Disappearances has documented over 1,000 unresolved cases in the region since 2014.

In response to the protest campaign, authorities invoked Section 144, a colonial-era law banning all public gatherings ahead of planned demonstrations on the grounds of "security concerns." The dispersals and arrests of protesters, including Dr. Baloch, have escalated the tension in the region.

To protest against the arrests, the Baloch Yekjehti Committee organized a series of demonstrations in the region on March 25. The Baloch National Movement’s UK chapter also protested outside 10 Downing Street on March 23, urging the prime minister to address the question of widespread rights violations in Pakistan.

From JURIST, March 24. Used with permission.