Pakistani authorities have registered new cases against several leaders of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), including Dr. Sabiha and Sammi Deen Baloch, as the group prepares for a January 25 gathering in Dalbandin to mark “Baloch Genocide Memorial Day.”
The BYC’s central leadership, including Dr. Mahrang, Dr. Sabiha, Sammi Deen Baloch, and Shahji Sebghatullah, have been traveling across Balochistan and Karachi to rally public support for the event.
Following earlier FIRs against Dr. Mahrang Baloch in Mastung and Naseerabad, fresh cases reportedly accuse other BYC leaders of “treason.”
In Kharan and Nokundi, police reportedly lodged cases against Dr. Sabiha Baloch and other participants during events organized to mobilize support for the Dalbandin commemoration. Separately, a rally on Monday in Karachi’s Malir led to a case against Sammi Deen and others.
The BYC described these actions as an attempt by the state to sabotage the Dalbandin national gathering. However, it vowed that such measures would not weaken the resolve of the Baloch nation or its leadership.
It is worth noting that on Saturday, a planned demonstration in Lyari—organized to raise awareness for the January 25 gathering—was disrupted by Karachi police, who reportedly used force to disperse protesters and detained several people. Most women were released within hours, but the BYC’s Central Deputy Organizer Lala Wahab and others remain in custody.
Amnesty International, a global rights organization, condemned the police action, calling it a “heavy-handed crackdown” on peaceful Baloch protests. In a statement on X, the group said authorities have escalated harassment and intimidation of Baloch activists by filing criminal cases against BYC leaders.
Amnesty further urged authorities to “immediately release all those detained during the gathering in Lyari and ensure that the right to protest is upheld by refraining from any arbitrary detentions, use of unlawful force, and criminal cases against organizers and participants of peaceful assemblies.”