Balochistan Crackdown: Human Rights Concerns Escalate Over BYC Detentions

Sibghatullah Shah Ji Baloch, a Baloch Yakjehti Committee leader, was detained by Pakistani forces, sparking protests and international concern. Alongside other BYC members, his arrest raises fears of human rights violations. A letter to PM Sharif demands immediate releases and inquiries into police actions.

In a development that has drawn widespread attention, Pakistani forces have detained Sibghatullah Shah Ji Baloch, a central figure in the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), from his Quetta residence. According to TBP's report, the whereabouts of Baloch remain unknown following his arrest, causing significant concern. The BYC has described it as 'state brutality.'

This arrest is part of an escalating crackdown in Balochistan, which has seen several senior BYC members, including Mahrang Baloch and others, taken into custody. These actions have led to protests and a broad international response, as noted by TBP. More than 100 civil society leaders in Pakistan have written to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging the release of the detained BYC figures.

The letter, reported by TBP, condemns the arrests as attempts to stifle advocacy for ending enforced disappearances and ensuring justice in Balochistan. Signatories also called for an independent investigation into police conduct towards activists. The crackdown on dissent and infringements of protest rights, according to the letter, violates international human rights standards.

(With inputs from agencies.)