A Baloch woman and member of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee was detained by Pakistani security personnel in Turbat city of Kech district on Tuesday night, a day before the organisation held a protest against the imprisonment of its leaders.
According to local sources, Syed Bibi, a BYC member and the sister of Baloch fiction writer Dr Hanif Shareef, was taken into custody by personnel of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) from the Shahi Tump area of Turbat.
Sources said CTD personnel raided her residence at around 9:30 pm on Tuesday and detained her before initially moving her to an undisclosed location. She was later transferred to a police facility in the city.
According to reports, Syed Bibi had been appearing before CTD authorities on a weekly basis for the past four months after being placed on Pakistan’s Fourth Schedule, a list maintained under anti-terrorism legislation that subjects designated individuals to monitoring and movement restrictions.
In a statement, the BYC condemned the detention, describing it as unlawful and alleging that CTD officials had repeatedly contacted and pressured Syed Bibi after the organisation announced a protest in Turbat.
The group said she had complied with all reporting requirements linked to her inclusion on the Fourth Schedule and argued that there was no legal basis for her detention. The BYC also criticised the use of the Fourth Schedule in Balochistan, alleging that it is frequently used to monitor and restrict the activities of political activists, students, teachers and other civilians.
According to the organisation, Syed Bibi was transferred to the Women’s Police Station in Turbat, where she remained in custody. The BYC further claimed that authorities had indicated she could be released after the planned protest concluded.
The detention came shortly after the BYC announced a demonstration in Turbat against the life sentences recently handed down to its leaders, including Dr Mahrang Baloch and Sibghatullah Shah Jee.
Ahead of the protest, the Balochistan government imposed Section 144 across Kech district, citing the “prevailing security situation”. An official notification prohibited public gatherings, rallies, processions and demonstrations during the enforcement period.
Despite the restrictions, eyewitnesses and local sources said the protest went ahead on Thursday. According to reports, demonstrators, including women and children, attempted to gather at Shaheed Fida Chowk despite security checkpoints, road restrictions and reported disruptions to mobile phone and internet services.
Sources said protesters from different parts of the city managed to reach the area, where Frontier Corps (FC) and police personnel were deployed. Witnesses reported incidents of pushing, scuffles and exchanges of slogans between protesters and security personnel after authorities prevented the gathering from proceeding as planned.
Local sources further claimed that more than a dozen participants were detained from different parts of the city during the protest, although no official confirmation has been issued. Reports also alleged that several BYC members and supporters, including Gulzar Dost and around 15 others, among them seven women, were detained during operations conducted before the demonstration.
At the time of publication, no detailed official statement had been issued regarding the reported detentions or the incidents that occurred during the protest.