Baloch rights activist Sammi Deen Baloch said on Monday that police and law enforcement personnel raided her home in Karachi late at night after weeks of harassment, broke down doors and took away personal belongings.
Sammi Deen, a leader of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), said in a statement that around 70 personnel, including police and female constables, arrived at her home at about 1 a.m. in 22 vehicles to arrest her.
She said she was not at home, but that the personnel entered the house after breaking down doors, remained inside for about five hours and searched the property.
Laptops, cameras, mobile phones, books, documents, jewellery and other belongings were taken away during the raid, she said.
Sammi Deen said she was ready to face any case against her in court, but described the raid as an attempt to “frighten and silence” her and her family rather than an effort to enforce the law.
“If they want to arrest me, they should come and arrest me,” she said, adding that she had already been to jail several times and was ready to go again.
Sabiha Baloch, another BYC leader, condemned the raid, saying it was intended to punish and intimidate those who speak against enforced disappearances, unlawful detentions and impunity.
“The objective was not merely to arrest an individual, but to punish, intimidate, and send a message to every person who dares to speak against enforced disappearances, unlawful detentions, and impunity,” Sabiha Baloch said.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed “grave concern” over reports that Sammi Deen’s Karachi home had been raided in her absence.
In a statement, HRCP said the reported raid, if confirmed, raised serious concerns over “due process, privacy, and constitutional protections”.
“We call on the Sindh government to order an immediate, independent inquiry into the incident and ensure protection and security for Ms Baloch and her family,” the commission said.
Pakistani authorities had not issued a statement on the raid or Sammi Deen’s allegations at the time of publication.
The raid came after Sammi Deen said in an earlier video message that she feared arrest following weeks of threats and harassment. The message was released ahead of the 17th anniversary of the enforced disappearance of her father, Dr Deen Mohammad Baloch, who was detained by Pakistani forces in Khuzdar on June 28, 2009, and has remained missing since.