Pak: Peaceful protest is everyone's right, says Islamabad High Court on Baloch protestors' crackdown
Dec 22, 2023
Islamabad [Pakistan], December 22 : Highlighting the police crackdown on Baloch protestors, the Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court (IHC) said that peaceful protest is everyone's right and the Baloch protestors cannot be "forcefully" sent back to their province, reported ARY News.
Emphasising that those who wish to protest peacefully should be allowed, the Chief Justice directed the police chief to arrange a meeting of the women with their counsels.
Chief Justice Aamir Farooq chaired a hearing on the petition filed against the arrest of Baloch protesters in the IHC, in which the court directed the IG Punjab to submit a detailed report about the Baloch women in police custody.
Chief Justice Farooq instructed the IG to present data before the court regarding the number of detainees, those related, and any incidents of harassment with the female protestors in police stations.
He further expressed deep concerns over the surge in street crimes in Islamabad and lambasted the IG Punjab as the police did not do its duties effectively in the state capital, reported ARY News.
He also highlighted instances when the court's staff members became victims of theft, with mobile phones and wallets being snatched.
Additionally, he also said that the IG had miscommunicated in court yesterday, stating that there were no women in police custody and demanded that contempt proceedings be initiated against him.
Meanwhile, the IG Islamabad stated the latest figures, stating that 216 individuals were in custody, out of which 34 were in judicial custody and one was under physical remand.
Moreover, 19 women were released as per the Chief Justice's orders, according to ARY News.
Chief Justice Aamir Farooq concluded the hearing by announcing that a detailed decision on today's proceedings would be issued soon.
Earlier today, the Baloch Yakjahti Committee took to social media to share the distressing experience faced by the detained women while urging the Baloch nation to persist in their protests against the treatment of protesters in Islamabad.
The Long March, organised by the Baloch Yakjahti Committee, initially began as a protest against the Baloch genocide, triggered by the extrajudicial murder of four young Baloch individuals in district Kech. The march traversed various districts of Balochistan and Punjab, encountering severe brutality upon reaching Islamabad.
The Baloch Human Rights Council expressed deep concern over the "inhuman and brutal response" of the Islamabad police and the interim government. The council condemned the actions of the police, accusing them of beating and arresting Baloch activists, as well as targeting elderly men, women, and children participating in the march.
