The Gwadar police on Friday arrested Haq Do Tehreek leader Maulana Hidayat Ur Rehman over the killing of a police constable during the protests. He had announced four days earlier that he was heading to Gwadar to surrender.
Rehman and other leaders of the movement were booked over the killing of a policeman on Dec 27, 2022, during the recent protestors. Balochistan Home Minister Ziaullah Langove had directed the authorities to file a case against the Haq Do Tehreek leaders.
According to reports, Rehman arrived at court on Friday where a large contingency of the Gwadar police was awaiting his arrival. They detained Rehman and took him to the Gwadar police station, where he will await trial.
Other leaders of the movement, including Yaqoob Joski, Hussain Wadhela, and Sarif Miandad were arrested on January 4 and moved from Turbat jail to Quetta for further interrogation.
The FIR names three other people alongside Rehman for the murder of the police constable. It emerged on January 2 against Rehman on charges of murder, attempt to murder, provoking people for violence and other charges. It claims the Haq Do Tehreek leader incited the protestors to hurl stones at the police vehicles, which resulted in their windows shattering and other losses.
The supporters of the Haq Do Tehreek held a press conference in Pasni where they condemned Rehman’s arrest and called it “illegal.” Fishermen representative Aziz Ismail said the authorities should thoroughly investigate the killing of the police constable, but the arrest of Haq Do Tehreek leaders on these charges is “unfair.”
He said the forces had arrested Haq Do Tehreek workers Inayat Baloch, Raziq Baloch, Nasir Kalanchi, and Mullah Taj Muhammad Kalanci in Pasni. The forces moved them to Turbat where they booked them on charges of killing the police constable in Gwadar, even though they were in Pasni at the time of the killing.
Ismail claimed he was present at the protest site during the mayhem. Leaders of the Haq Do Tehreek offered to surrender, but the police resorted to violence and baton-charged and tear-gassed the protestors, he said.
He said that Balochistan Home Minister Ziaullah Langove is trying to portray the Haq Do Tehreek leaders as “violent provocateurs.” Ismail said that we would not give up on these violent tactics and continue fighting for our rights until the last breath.
Members of the Balochistan Bar Council also condemned Maulana Hidayat Ur Rehman’s arrest, saying that he appeared before the court before his lawyers and the police arrested him there. They said Rehman was present because he sought interim bail.
The police arrested him without respecting the court, which counts as contempt of court, the bar council said.
The lawyers’ body announced a boycott of legal activities in Balochistan on Saturday and demanded Balochistan Chief Secretary Abdul Aziz Uqaili and Inspector General of Police Abdul Khaliq Sheikh take immediate notice of the arrest.