A Member of the European Parliament has expressed concerns over the travel ban imposed on rights activist Sammi Deen Baloch, who was recently stopped from leaving Pakistan.
Mounir Satouri, Chairman of the Green Party’s Human Rights Committee on Foreign Affairs, voiced alarm over the incident, calling on Pakistani authorities to allow Ms. Baloch to travel freely and without fear of retaliation, especially given her engagement with United Nations officials and international human rights forums.
Ms. Baloch, General Secretary of Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) and daughter of the forcibly disappeared Dr. Deen Muhammad, was stopped by Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport on Sunday while attempting to attend an international conference in Belgium.
Ms. Baloch expressed her frustration after the incident, stating, “I was told by the FIA that my name had been placed on the Exit Control List by the Balochistan government. I had no prior notice, no explanation, and my passport was confiscated,” she wrote in a post on X on Sunday.
Speaking outside the Sindh High Court, where Ms. Baloch filed a petition challenging the travel ban, her lawyer, Muhammad Jibran Nasir, said Sammi had initially cleared immigration but was later detained by FIA officials, who informed her that her name had been placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) by the Balochistan government. The FIA held her for four hours, confiscated her passport, and ultimately prevented her from boarding her flight.
Following the petition, the Sindh High Court (SHC) issued notices to key government institutions, including the FIA, the ministries of defence and interior, the director general of immigration and passports, and the deputy attorney general, seeking explanations for the travel ban.
Nasir criticized the lack of transparency in placing Ms. Baloch’s name on the ECL. “There was no prior notification, which is a legal requirement. This raises serious concerns about the use of unofficial means to restrict her movement,” he said.
He added that Ms. Baloch’s name does not appear on any official lists maintained by the federal or provincial governments. “Her inclusion on the ECL seems to have been done unfairly and through non-transparent procedures.”
Meanwhile, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) condemned the treatment of Sammi Deen Baloch, accusing the authorities of using “heavy-handed tactics” to restrict her movement. In a statement, the HRCP also raised concerns about the broader issue of travel restrictions and the curbing of civil liberties in Balochistan.
“HRCP condemns the use of heavy-handed tactics, such as placing Baloch rights activist Sammi Baloch on the Exit Control List, thereby violating her freedom of movement,” the HRCP wrote on X.
The organization also highlighted growing concerns about the increasing number of civil society members being placed on the Fourth Schedule, which imposes restrictions on movement and assembly.
The HRCP further criticized the government’s security-driven policies in Balochistan. “The state must urgently rethink this strategy and engage with Baloch civil society to resolve the crisis in the province,” the group said, warning that such measures are only exacerbating tensions and further isolating the Baloch population.