Police in Karachi reportedly used force against demonstrators on Maripur Road, Hawks Bay, on Saturday. The demonstrators were protesting the enforced disappearance of Dad Shah Baloch. A significant number of women and children were among the protesters, demanding answers and the immediate release of Dad Shah.
Eyewitnesses reported that the situation escalated when Maripur Police resorted to a baton-charge against the assembled crowd. This action resulted in several arrests, including those of women and children. Many of the arrested sustained injuries during the altercation.
According to the demonstrators, Dad Shah was taken from his residence in the Hawks Bay area of Karachi by Pakistan’s Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) during the early hours of August 10, 2023, and has been missing since. His family alleges they tried to lodge an FIR concerning his disappearance at the Maripur Police station, but the police declined to register the complaint.
The demonstrators argue that if Dad Shah has committed a crime, he should be presented in court and subjected to due legal process. The protest garnered support from advocacy groups such as the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) Karachi and the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP).