A local court in Karachi has dismissed a case filed against Fauzia Shashani Baloch, a member of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), and several members of her family after they were detained by police during a protest over the alleged enforced disappearance of her brother, Dad Shashani.
According to officials, the case was withdrawn following an order by a local magistrate, and those detained were subsequently released. Police had reportedly registered a case under Section 124-A of the Pakistan Penal Code, relating to sedition.
Fauzia Baloch was taken into custody on April 25 while on her way to meet journalists outside the Karachi Press Club. Her mother and other relatives who were accompanying her were also detained. Reports indicated that a total of seven people were taken into custody and moved to an undisclosed location.
The detentions occurred as the family sought to raise concerns over the disappearance of Dad Shashani, whom relatives allege was taken by Pakistani security forces from his home on 21 April 2026. His whereabouts remain unknown since, according to the family.
Relatives said they had attempted to lodge a First Information Report (FIR) at a local police station regarding his disappearance, but their complaint was not accepted. They later went to the Karachi Press Club to publicly appeal for his recovery, where the arrests took place.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee condemned the detentions and called for the immediate release of those arrested, as well as information regarding Dad Shashani Baloch’s whereabouts. The group also appealed to international human rights organisations to monitor rights violations in Balochistan and Karachi.
Pakistani authorities have not commented on the family’s allegations concerning Dad Shashani’s disappearance.