A planned rally in Lyari on Saturday—organized to raise awareness for the January 25 gathering in Dalbandin marking “Baloch Genocide Remembrance Day”—was disrupted when Karachi police reportedly used force against protesters, detaining multiple activists before the event began.
Local sources said the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) had scheduled the rally for 2 PM at Miran Naka in Lyari. However, police allegedly surrounded the area, used baton charges to disperse participants, and detained several activists.
Those detained included Lala Wahab Baloch, Deputy Organizer of the BYC, and activists Sammi Deen Baloch, Fauzia Baloch, and Amna Baloch. They were reportedly taken to several locations, with Sammi Deen held at Kharadar Police Station and Lala Wahab at Chakiwara Police Station.
In a statement, the BYC condemned the crackdown, claiming it specifically targeted Baloch individuals as part of a broader campaign against “peaceful Baloch citizens” and BYC members. The group also said Sammi Deen was held alone in a cell and noted she had survived an assassination attempt just the previous day.
It should be noted that on Friday, two individuals were arrested during a protest in Hub for allegedly planning to attack Sammi Deen. Organizers reportedly seized weapons, ID cards, and protest footage from the suspects, who are alleged to have ties to Pakistani intelligence agencies
The BYC added that the rally in Lyari was intended to mobilize public support for the national gathering in Dalbandin on January 25 commemorating “Baloch Genocide Remembrance Day” The group urged the Baloch public and others to gather at Kharadar and other police stations to show solidarity with the detainees.
No official statement from Karachi police was available at the time of publication.