Balochistan [Pakistan] July 3 (ANI) A member of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) was detained by Pakistani security personnel in Turbat, Kech district, shortly before the organisation staged a protest against the imprisonment of its senior leaders, as reported by The Balochistan Post.
According to The Balochistan Post, Syed Bibi, a BYC activist and sister of noted Baloch fiction writer Dr Hanif Shareef, was taken into custody during a late-night raid conducted by personnel of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in Turbat’s Shahi Tump area. The operation reportedly took place at around 9:30 pm, after which she was initially held at an undisclosed location before being shifted to a women’s police station in the city.
Reports said Syed Bibi had been regularly appearing before CTD officials every week for the past four months after being placed on Pakistan’s Fourth Schedule, a list maintained under anti-terrorism laws that imposes surveillance and movement restrictions on designated individuals. The BYC condemned the detention, calling it arbitrary and politically motivated.
According to the organisation, CTD officials had repeatedly contacted and pressured Syed Bibi following the announcement of the planned protest in Turbat. The group argued that she had fully complied with all legal reporting requirements and maintained that there was no lawful justification for her arrest.
The BYC also accused Pakistani authorities of using the Fourth Schedule as a tool to monitor and intimidate political activists, students, teachers and other civilians across Balochistan. The organisation further claimed officials suggested Syed Bibi could be released after the protest concluded.
The arrest came amid growing tensions over the recent life sentences handed to prominent BYC leaders, including Dr Mahrang Baloch and Sibghatullah Shah Jee. Ahead of the demonstration, the Balochistan government imposed Section 144 across Kech district, banning public gatherings, rallies and processions on security grounds, as highlighted by The Balochistan Post.
Despite the restrictions, protesters, including women and children, reportedly gathered at Shaheed Fida Chowk. Security forces established checkpoints, restricted roads and allegedly disrupted mobile and internet services before the demonstration. Eyewitnesses reported scuffles after police and Frontier Corps personnel blocked the gathering, as reported by The Balochistan Post. (ANI)
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