Pak: Baloch Women Forum decries illegal detention of girls by security forces in Khuzdar
Jul 18, 2024
Balochistan [Pakistan], July 18 : The Baloch Women Forum (BWF), an organisation advocating for Baloch women's rights, has strongly condemned the unlawful detention of Baloch girls by security forces in Khuzdar district of Balochistan, Pakistan.
The BWF said that these actions of the military in connivance with the administration expose the state's intention to strip the Baloch people of their legitimate rights and warn of dire consequences if immediate resistance is not undertaken.
In a statement on X, the BWF stated, "The Baloch Women Forum solemnly condemns the illegal detention of Baloch girls, including Saira Baloch and Sadia Baloch, in Khuzdar today by security forces. Such immoral and illegal acts portray the state's clear intentions to isolate Baloch from their genuine rights. If not resisted at the earliest, we will have to face harder concerns in the time to come. We denounce and disallow such anti-law state policies towards the Baloch."
https://x.com/BalochWF/status/1813634975054323749
Moreover, Pakistani security forces detained several young Baloch women in Khuzdar amid rising tensions over a peaceful pamphlet distribution campaign for the 'Baloch Raaji Muchi' (Baloch National Gathering), reported The Balochistan Post.
The Baloch National Gathering (BNG), announced earlier this month, is intended to unite the Baloch community against the atrocities inflicted by Pakistan, including, enforced disappearances, torture, targeted killings and economic exploitation.
The detentions, carried out by Frontier Corps (FC) personnel, have sparked outrage among activists and rights groups, who accuse the Pakistani state of increasing its repression of Baloch dissent.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) reported that the arrests occurred on Khand Road in Khuzdar city as the women were distributing pamphlets promoting the Baloch National Gathering.
Among those detained are Saira Baloch, the sister of forcibly disappeared individuals Asif and Rasheed, and Sadia Baloch, the sister of Salman, according to The Balochistan Post.
Human rights organisations and activists have sharply criticised these actions. PAANK, the Human Rights Department of the Baloch National Movement (BNM), denounced the detentions in a statement on X.
"Pakistani forces have surrounded Saira Baloch and other family members of forcibly disappeared individuals, illegally detaining several women. PAANK condemns these actions and calls for their immediate release. Such abuses must not be tolerated," it stated.
https://x.com/paank_bnm/status/1813593377113551144
The BWF, along with other rights groups, is calling for urgent action and increased international scrutiny of the situation in Balochistan.
The BYC has urgently appealed to international human rights organisations to intervene and advocate for the immediate release of the detained women.
The escalating tensions and continued repression have raised alarms among global human rights advocates, prompting calls for immediate intervention to ensure the safety and release of the detained women.
